Dark Trials (Original)
by KeySlinger09
Summary: Now out in the World, Avatar Korra is in Republic City and ready to fight the forces that threaten the world. However, while this is occurring, a boy named Kuro, one of thirteen pieces of Darkness that made up the original, ultimate key, finds himself in Republic City, ready to help her and to fight against his kin, who are plotting to help the very forces Korra must fight against.
1. Chapter 1

_**Have you heard of the Keyblade War?**_

_**Long ago, in ancient times, the world was made of light. The people of the world loved the light, relished its warmth and safety. However, there were those who wished to keep the light for themselves, and people began to fight over it.**_

_**From this, Darkness was born in their hearts.**_

_**The conflict began to escalate, and Keyblade wielders, those who wielded weapons of great power, were soon at war with each other over possession over the ultimate Keyblade.**_

_**The X-Blade. The one key that could allow access to Kingdom Hearts, the ultimate source of light.**_

_**In the end, however, all those who fought in the Keyblade War died in the violence. In the process, the X-Blade that they fought to achieve, was destroyed in the process. And the world was completely shrouded in Darkness.**_

_**Then, a glimmer of hope appeared. After the X-Blade was destroyed, it was split into 20 pieces. Seven Lights and 13 of Darkness. Those seven lights were able to restore the realm. The world was divided, but each one was able to live within the light once more.**_

_**The lights, since then, have been the key factor in ensuring that the worlds won't fall to the dark once again.**_

_**However… while the lights have gained a purpose, what became of the original Darkness? What role will they have to play?**_

…..

_There are those who believe that Darkness is the source of evil that comes from people, but there are those who use it for good. While there are champions of light who fight for what is right, only to become blinded and be led astray._

_We forget that we live in a world of balance. Light and Dark co-existing. Leaning towards one side will bring nothing but ruin, and we must learn to accept them both…_

_But… given what I am… can I ever hope to be a part of that reality?_

A feeling of weariness seemed to overcome Kuro as he awakened from his slumber. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing a clear, blue sky. He looked down, seeing a white, marble ground. He looked behind him, seeing a town made of the same material. Apparently built on the side of a slope, the cone-like landscape, the breath-taking sight including what appeared to be a citadel on the top.

Kuro looked around, seeing several more towns like this suspended over a large body of water, each one connected by cables, which included cable cars.

The sight looked familiar to Kuro, but… he couldn't quite place his finger on where he saw this place before.

Before he could get the chance to think more on it, the sky suddenly became dark and cloudly, streaks of lightning travelling across the clouds. Several bolts rained down and struck various parts of the town. The citadel was also hit, becoming obliterated from the largest lightning strike. The force was strong enough it created a large shockwave that sent Kuro flying back. As he was flying, he skidded across the water briefly before sinking beneath the surface. From onderneath, he saw the Island he was on crumble to pieces.

He swam back up to the surface, looking around to see the rest of the Islands crumbling in the same fashion, falling into the water. Seeing the debris coming his way, he dived back into the water, proving to have excellent swimming skill as he moved quickly through the water, avoiding the remnants of the buildings.

As he swam through, more debris came at him from the side, forcing him to quickly manoeuvre around them so as not to be hit. While difficult, he successfully managed to avoid the debris. HE stopped swimming for a bit when he noticed that the debris stopped falling into the water. He swam back to the surface to see what was going on.

As he broke through the surface, he felt himself being pushed up, finding that he was suddenly standing up. He looked down, seeing that he was still on the water.

'… **Baffling, isn't it?**'

Kuro quickly turned around to see where the voice came from. The boy widened his eyes when he saw a transparent orb with a purple hue and a bright purple light within floating before him. In his surprise, he took a step back.

'**Be not afraid.**' The orb said. '**I am a mere part of you. We were both asleep for a long time. But now we have been awakened.**'

Kuro tilted his head in confusion, now fully unsure of what was going on.

'**You cannot remember our past, can you?**' the orb asked, to which Kuro shakes his head. '**I thought so… you didn't seem to recognise the world you saw before.**'

The heart floated around Kuro, stopping behind him and floated in place there. Kuro turned around to see the orb, only to see one of the ruined Islands still standing before them some distance away.

'**This town was built on the remnants of an old world, before the realm of light fell into ruin.**' The orb explained. '**This place was formed after the seven lights restored light to the worlds.**'

At the mention of the lights, Kuro felt a sharp pain go through his head hat forced him onto his knees. For a brief moment, he saw images of… some kind of sword, with two keys crossing each other as part of the design, cracking and shattering into pieces.

Soon, the pain began to fade away. He looked up at the orb again, standing up while still rubbing his head.

'**What you saw was the X-Blade. The weapon we once were.**' The orb explained. '**After it was shattered, the lights restored the realm of light as best they could, like I said before. We, however, were lost, trapped in endless darkness along with Kingdom Hearts, the light of all worlds.**'

Kuro gave the orb a questioning stare.

'**You wish to know how we were released?**' the orb asked, to which Kuro nodded. '**Someone somehow made another X-Blade, unlocking Kingdom Hearts and, in turn, us and our siblings.**'

Kuro tilted his head, curious to know how many more there were like him.

'**The X-Blade was shattered into twenty pieces. Seven of light, and thirteen of darkness. As to where our siblings are now, I cannot say for sure. We were the last to take our leave.**'

While disappointed, the boy nodded in understanding. He lifted his hands and gazed at his palms. If they were released from a long-term prison, of sorts, then what was to do now?

'**Your purpose can only be decided for yourself. We… no… you are free to do as you wish.**'

Kuro became slightly alarmed when he said "You". Kuro mentally asked what the orb meant.

'**I am your heart.**' The orb, or now rather the heart, answered. '**In this realm, I can manifest into a form of guidance, but any actions you take will be of your own volition. You have great power… and with it, you must create the best path for you…**'

Kuro was about to respond, when a bright light shun above them. Kuro held his arm over his eyes to lessen the strain on his eyes. It didn't work as well as he thought, as the light began to grow stronger.

'**Our time here is ending here. Go forth.**'

The heart then zoomed at Kuro's chest, quickly imbuing itself into the boy. As it did, Kuro soon saw nothing but pure white before losing consciousness.

…

'…'

'…'

'…'

'Hey, you okay, kid?'

Kuro's ears picked up on the new voice. His weariness fading, he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a slightly cloudy, blue sky. He noticed that the surface he was lying on felt… different.

He sat up, looking around, seeing that he was in a park. There were several patches of grass, benches, streams of water, everything that one would expect from a park. Kuro saw various people around, children playing tag, or hid and seek, while the adults sat down or walked together.

'I see you're awake.'

Kuro turned to see who it was that spoke. Squatting beside Kuro was an elderly man with messy hair, facial hair in the same condition and dressed in tattered clothes.

This man looked at the boy with concern. 'Seriously, kid, you okay? You haven't said a word yet.'

Kuro nodded. '… y... Yeah… I'm fine.' He answered. 'Sore throat… is all."

'Oh, is that all?' the man asked. He then put a hand down his shirt and pulled out a bowl filled with a type of soup. 'Here ya go, kiddo, I always have some street gruel handy just in case. Made with ingredients from the finest dumpsters around Republic City.'

'Thank you.' Kuro said, taking that bowl that the man offered him and drinking straight from the bowl. Kuro lowered the bowl, showing to have consumed half its contents. 'It's delicious.' Kuro said with a smile.

'Really?' the man said, looking surprised. 'Well thanks, that means a lot. Though I didn't think someone like yourself would have a taste for it.'

This confused Kuro. 'Huh? What do you mean?'

'Well you look like you haven't lived on the streets, at least for a long time, anyway.'

Kuro was still baffled, trying to understand what the man was saying. He leaned forward until he was over the water, seeing his reflection for the first time.

Kuro had black, spiked up hair, amethyst eyes and tanned skin. He was dressed in a black t-shirt, a short-waist button jacket with pockets on the short sleeves, blue cargo pants and black shoes. He didn't know what to expect in terms of his appearance, though he did look quite contrasting to the other person beside him.

Kuro leaned back and sighed. 'I guess so.' He said.

The man held out a hand to Kuro. 'Well, nice to meet you all the same. The name's Gommu. And you?'

'Kuro.' The boy responded. Unsure of what to do, he slowly took Gommu's hand, to which Gommu lightly moved their hands up and down lightly.

Gommu let go and placed his index finger and thumb on his chin. 'So, what brings you to the city?' he asked.

'… I'm… trying to find my own path…' Kuro answered. 'I guess… so far, it lead me here.'

'Oh, so you're living the live of a nomad, eh?' he asked. 'Same here kid. Used to work as a telegraph operator of the United Forces, but I got tired of being stuck in one place, so I went out on my own.' Gommu explained. 'Currently, I'm living over there.'

Kuro looked to where Gommu was pointing, only to see a set of bushes.

'… Are those bushes comfortable?' he asked, handing the bowl back to Gommu, who finished the remnants himself.

'Yes, those bushes are quite comfy. Hence why they are my current home.' He answered. 'What about you, kid, have you a place to stay while you're here?'

Kuro shook his head. 'No… though to be honest, I'm not sure if I will be staying long.' He admitted.

'Sound's fair enough.' Gommu said. 'Though, if you need a place to crash, I know a nice, cozy spot in the sewers I'm sure you'd love.'

Kuro grinned and gave a soft laugh. 'Thank you, Gommu.' He said, getting onto his feet. However, he found the strength in his legs suddenly fade, forcing him to topple over and fall into the water.

'Whoa!' Gommu exclaimed, moving to the edge. 'Kuro, you okay?'

Kuro stood up in the water, soaked but otherwise unharmed. 'I'm fine. I think I may have been resting too long.' He noted.

'Pfft, if that's the case, you need more exer-'

Kuro squatted down before jumping with great force into the air, spinning mid-air over Gommu before landing back on the grass with a roll.

'…cise…' Gommu finished, seemingly baffled by what he saw.

Kuro gave him a small wave. 'See you.' He said before walking off.

As Kuro left, Gommu scratched the side of his head, now baffled himself. 'Hmm… strange kid.' He noted. 'Kinda like that girl that was here not too long ago.'

…

After meeting Gommu, Kuro decided to explore more of the city. This was the first world he had been to since he was freed from his slumber, and he was rather interested to see what this place had to offer.

There were a large number of people driving around machines, presumably to help the get from one place to another more quickly. And, given that they were moving at such a speed, Kuro didn't want to chance getting hit by one by mistake. As such, he decided that he would go by the roofs. He found climbing the buildings to be a simple task, nimbly making his way up with almost no effort.

When he reached the top of the first building, he took a moment to observe the view from above. He had to admit, while the park proved to be a nice place, the sight of this city from above proved to be quite breath-taking.

Kuro looked around, finding another building that was some distance away. Another reason as to why he decided to take the buildings rather than the streets was because he wanted to see what he was capable of.

He remembered the manifestation of his heart saying he had great…

Time to see if he was right.

Kuro kneeled down onto the ground, taking the same stance of a sprinter ready to run. In this instance, he was wishing to test his speed, agility and… should he end up falling, his physical resistance. Dangerous as it was, he felt he had to try. He already knew that he was stronger than the average human.

Now was time to push his own limits.

Pulling himself back slightly, he pushed himself forward, taking off at surprising speed, even surprising himself. He found himself from one edge of the building to the next, forcing himself to leap before he simply ran to his death.

As he leaped off the edge, the foot he launched off of created a burst of dark energy, sending him flying through the air streaks of black and blue trailing from his form as he flew. Fortunately, Kuro had generated enough force from that leap that allowed him to land on the other side of the building safely. He came to a rolling stop, looking behind him.

'… Eighty feet… nice.' Kuro commented, surprised by the distance he managed to cover on his first try.

Kuro narrowed his eyes, seeing the trail of darkness slowly fading away. He looked at his hand, a smile slowly breaking out. He stood up, walking to the edge. He looked down to see the city from below.

'Perhaps this won't be so worrying after all.' He said.

He was about to try and leap again, when a series of sounds soon hit his ears. He found it unusual. Deciding to see what it was, he relaxed his body and focused on the sounds, hoping he could make better sense of what these sounds were.

_Mr. Chung, please tell me that you have my money, or else I can't guarantee that I can protect your fine establishment_

It sounded like a conversation. And the person Kuro heard speaking sounded… unpleasant.

_I'm sorry. Business has been slow-take one of my phonographs_

_*CRASH*_

Kuro snapped his head up when he heard something break. It didn't take a genius to see that the second person who spoke was in danger. He looked down, narrowing his eyes. His hearing may have been sharp, but his eyesight was just like everyone else's. Still, he had to check on what was going on. Deciding to take the risk, Kuro hopped off the edge, allowing himself to free-fall towards the ground.

As he fell, he kept his ears so he could-

_My friend is not a music lover_

'Found you!'

….

'Or else what, hoodlum?'

Three men, two dressed in regular street clothes while the third was dressed more elaborately, showing a higher status, turned around to see a new person they haven't seen before.

It was a young woman, presumably late teens, having long, brown hair that was tied into bangs on the sides of her head and into a ponytail at the back, brown skin tone and blue eyes. She wore a light blue, sleeveless top, a tribal armband and blue wrappings on her arms, a pelt wrapped around a pair of baggy blue pants and snow shoes.

The girl looked at the thugs confidently. The thugs, on the other hand, burst out laughing, finding the idea of this girl standing up to them laughable.

The leader then spoke. 'Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain a couple things. You're in triple threat triad territory, and we're about to put you in the hospital.'

The girl appeared ore amused than afraid of their threat. '_You're _the ones that are gonna need a hospital.' She said, irritating the thugs. 'And for your sake, I hope there's one nearby.'

The leader glared at the girl. 'Who do you think you are?'

'Why don't you come and find out?' the girl replied.

Unknown to any of them, Kuro landed on a nearby stall made of stone, landing with a squat silently and without causing damage, much to his surprise. He was about to leap in and incapacitate the thugs, but halted when he saw the girl.

In an instant, he could sense power radiating from them all. The girl, however, was giving of MUCH greater power than the thugs. Curious, he stayed hidden and decided to just observe until he felt it necessary to help.

The thug put a hand in his jacket before sending a projectile, seemingly made of water, at the girl. The girl simply raised a hand, stopping the water and sending it back at the leader, only it hit him in the head. The water froze and trapped him in a sphere of ice.

Kuro widened his eyes at this. These individuals were able to control water, both as liquid and ice. He began to wonder what else was about to happen. The leader tried to charge at the girl, but she kicked him to the side, sending him flying into a car, shattering the ice and knocking him out.

The other two thugs looked on in surprise, until the one dressed in green stepped forward, looking ready to attack. Instead, the girl stomped her foot onto the ground, causing a huge block of stone to rise from the ground, sending him flying into the air.

'Earth too, huh?' Kuro commented out loud, seeing the thug collide with several objects before landing on a stall and rolling onto the ground. 'Oh, what a waste of food.' He couldn't help but say.

The last one, dressed in black aside from a red scarf, looked afraid. Nevertheless, he tried to fight back. he fired a stream of fire at the girl, but she simply leaped at the fire and ignited her own fists, bursting through the fire with a look of confidence. She grabbed his hands, apparently preventing him from using his fire and began to spin him around, building up enough momentum to send him flying through the air.

Kuro saw that he was headed for a glass window. He dashed off the building and managed to get in between the man and the window, catching the man. Kuro let him down .

'Wow! Thanks man, I owe y-'

He didn't get to finish, as Kuro landed an elbow in his face, knocking him out instantly.

As he fell to the ground, Kuro looked over to the girl, who looked at him in surprise.

'Whoa!' she said, her look of surprise becoming one of glee. 'That was awesome! How did you get there so quickly?'

'…' Kuro didn't answer. Instead he looked at the window, before giving a sigh of relief to see that it wasn't damaged. He looked back at the girl. 'Don't you think that you were a bit reckless?' he asked.

'Hey, relax.' She said. 'Took them down, didn't I?'

As if to respond to that, they heard the sound of screeching rubber. They looked to see what it was, only to see the car the leader crashed into driving towards them. The girl backed away to the side while Kuro grabbed the collar of the unconscious thug ang jumped up, avoiding the car just in time.

'Oh no you don't!' the girl said, motioning her arms and sending a wave of crumbling earth towards the car.

'NO! DON'T-'

Kuro was too late, as the wave hit the car and sent it spinning through the air, before it crashed into another shop.

Kuro landed on the ground and gently rested the thug on the ground. He walked towards the girl angrily, but did his best to restrain his fury.

'What was THAT!?' Kuro asked her, his anger still showing in his voice.

The girl was both surprised and annoyed by his anger. 'Hey, what's your problem? I took down the bad guys, didn't I?'

'And in the process, you destroyed two shops, nearly three had I not stepped in, and caused them serious injury when you didn't need to!' Kuro yelled back.

'Yeah? Well… well…'

'Well what?' Kuro asked.

'…' the girl looked conflicted. It looked like she was considering what the boy was saying. She looked around, seeing the damage done to the first stall, before looking over towards where the thugs crashed. 'Uh...' she shook her head before speaking. 'Look, I did what I could at the time, alright? What's done is done.'

Kuro still wasn't happy with what had happened, but she was right in one regard. The damage was done and it was too late to change it. He took in a deep breath before speaking again.

'… I'm sorry for yelling…' He started. 'But I felt you went overboard there when there was no need. Have you ever thought of using restraint?'

"Yeesh. You sound like the White Lotus.' The girl said.

'… The who?' Kuro asked.

The girl jumped, looking like she had said something she shouldn't have. Before she could say anything else, they both heard the sound of sirens going off above them. They looked up to see a blimp flying over them. Kuro looked up at it in surprise, having never seen anything like this before.

To add to his surprise, he saw several people jumping out from the blimp. While worried at first, his worry was lessened when he felt a similar power he felt off the thugs, only a tad stronger. These men held out their arms and fired out wires that clung onto different surfaces, helping to provide safe landings onto the ground. When they were on the ground, they were revealed to be clad in grey and black armor, each one holding a sense of authority.

'What the…?' Kuro couldn't help but say.

'MetalBenders!' the girl said in amazement.

Before Kuro could ask what she meant, the thugs that Korra fought stumbled out from the building they were flung into, looking dazed from the crash. The "Metalbenders", as the girl called them, shot wires at the thugs and restrained them, before the wires were suddenly electrified and shocked the thugs unconscious. Kuro winced at the sight.

'Take them back up to the airship.' One of them said.

The girl clapped her hands clean of dust. "… Well, at least we managed to bring down some bad guys.' She said.

The Metalbender that spoke pointed at the girl and Kuro. 'You two are under arrest too.'

'… WHAT!?' the girl yelled.

Kuro didn't say anything, deciding to wait to see what else this man had to say.

'You both are under arrest for the level of property damage and vigilante actions.' He said. 'If you resist, we will be forced to use force.'

'Why are you arresting us? Can't you cut us some slack for taking those guys down?' the girl asked, pointing towards the thugs.

Kuro, in contrast to the girl's outrage, stepped forward and bowed towards the man, surprising him. 'Very well. We will go with you.'

'HEY!' The girl yelled. 'You can't just-'

'Listen.'

Kuro turned back towards the girl and rested both hands on her shoulders, trying to get her attention.

'I know this is upsetting for you, but you have a better chance of defending yourself and getting them to listen to you if you co-operate. It will only cause problems if you aggravate them.'

'…' the girl pouted after Kuro finished speaking. After a moment of silence, she sighed and waved her hands in the air. 'Fine, we'll go in peacefully, or… whatever.'

Kuro nodded in approval. He turned back to the man. 'Lead the way, sir.'

….

Soon after Kuro and the girl turned themselves in, they were brought into a "police station", as the girl called it. The "Police Officers" led them to an interrogation room, where they were told to wait for the "Police Chief". Kuro found these phrases unusual, but he decided not to question it.

The two were now in the interrogation room. The girl was seated in the only chair in the room, while Kuro was leaning against a wall, his eyes closed as he thought over what had happened so far. For his first day of freedom, it was more eventual than he was anticipating.

The girl, leaning on the table in boredom, looked over to the stoic Kuro. Hoping to alleviate the boredom, she tried to start a conversation.

'… So… what's you're name?' she asked.

'Kuro.' He answered. 'And you?'

'My name's Korra.' She answered. '… So… are you a bender too?' she asked.

That question caused Kuro to open his eyes. He assumed that by "Bender", she meant someone who could manipulate earth, water and fire like she did before. But, just to be sure…

'Before I answer that, what exactly _is _a Bender?' Kuro asked.

'…' Korra was silent for a moment before she burst out laughing. She continued to laugh for half a minute before she calmed down. When she looked at Kuro again, she saw that his expression hadn't changed.

'Wait… you're serious?' she asked, to which Kuro nodded. 'How do you not know what Bending is!? It's one of the most important parts of life in the Four Nations!' she exclaimed.

'… Four Nations?' he asked again.

'…' Hearing that, Korra gaped at Kuro in shock. How could he not know about the Four Nations? That was the basic of the basics. Was he living under some kind of rock or something?'

Before she could question him on it, the door opened and another person came into the room. IT was an older woman wearing the same armor as the Metalbenders. She had mid-length grey hair, grey eyes, a pale skin-tone and two scars running across her right cheek. She glared at the two angrily.

'Let's see…' the woman said. 'Multiple accounts of destruction of private and public property… nearly attempting to evade arrest…' she slammed a hand onto the table. 'You are in a whole lot of trouble, missy?'

'Just me?' Korra asked. 'What about him?'

The woman looked towards Kuro. 'Witnesses claimed that he didn't cause any damage, even preventing some of the possible damage you would've caused.' She said. 'Plus, my officers said he was the one who convinced you to come in without blowing anything up.'

The officer moved around the table and stood opposite Korra. 'As such… I'll try to be a bit more… lenient.'

Kuro grinned, seeing that the peaceful solution worked.

'Still, you should have just called the police and let them handle it.' She said.

'I couldn't just sit by and let those guys hurt that shopkeeper.' Korra defended. 'It's my duty to help people.'

Kuro raised an eyebrow at this. 'How so?' he asked, only to lower his head when he saw the Police chief glare at him.

'I ask the questions here.' She said. 'Got it?'

'Yes Ma'am.' Kuro said quickly.

Korra answered Kuro's question all the same. 'Oh, well, it's because I'm the Avatar.' She answered.

'I know that already.' The chief said. 'Fair warning, that title might impress some people, but it won't work on me.'

At that, Korra felt a little deflated. Guess there weren't as many people in the world that appreciated the Avatar as she thought. Then again, she probably should've expected that.

'Okay Chief… uh…' Korra wasn't sure how to address her.

'Beifong.' The Chief answered. 'I'm Chief Beifong.'

At that, Korra looked at the woman with slight awe. 'Wait… "Beifong", as in Lin Beifong?' she asked. 'Then that means… you're Toph's kid!" she said excitedly.

Kuro wasn't sure who Korra was speaking of, but chose to stay silent and let the two continue their exchange.

'What of it?' the Chief asked.

'Well I don't get why you're so mad at me. Aang and your mother were friends, they saved the world together!' she explained.

'That's ancient history.' The chief replied. 'Besides, just because you're the Avatar that doesn't give you the right to deal out vigilante justice wherever you go.' She explained.

Lin then looked over towards Kuro. 'And you? What were you doing in the vicinity?'

Kuro grinned. 'Still don't trust me, then?' he asked. '… Fair enough.'

The amethyst-eyed boy pushed himself off the wall and walked right up beside Korra. 'I was exploring the city when I heard the commotion. I came to see what was going on, only intervening when one of the thugs was sent flying towards one of the shops.' He looked at Korra. 'Nice throw, by the way.'

'Thanks.' Korra said, flexing her arms. 'Got a lot of practice in since I was a kid.'

As soon as she asked that, a question of her own came to mind.

'Oh, by the way, how do you not know what a be-'

Part of the wall to the side opened up, revealing one of the officers. 'Chief? Councilman Tenzin is here to see you.'

Chief Beifong sighed. 'Ugh… very well, let him in.'

The wall closed, only for another part of the wall to open, allowing enough room for entry. The one who enters was a man in his late forties or early fifties, blue-grey eyes and a goatee beard and was bald, a blue arrow tattoo on his head and seened to trail back. he wore red and yellow robes and a pair of straw shoes.

He did not look happy, and seemed to focus that anger at Korra.

'Tenzin… hi…' Korra said nervously. 'I got a little side tracked when I was trying to find you'

'…' The man known as Tenzin didn't reply, but instead took in a deep breath to calm himself down, before putting on a smile and looking at the Chief.

'Lin, how are you?' he asked her. 'You're looking radiant as usual.'

'Cut the garbage Tenzin.' Lin said back to him. 'Why is the Avatar here in Republic City? Weren't you supposed to be training her in the South Pole?'

'My relocation has been delayed.' He answered. 'The Avatar…' he glared at Korra. 'On the other hand, will be returning to the South Pole immediately.'

Korra looked crestfallen after hearing that. It seemed that she was rather dead set on coming to this city.

'If you would be so kind as to drop all the charges, I will take full responsibility and cover for all the damages.' Tenzin added.

'…' Chief Beifong looked unwilling to comply with the deal at first. However, she then sighed in reluctance. 'Fine. Get her out of my city.'

Korr stood up from her chair and walked up to Tenzin, her head hanging low. Kuro was about to follow her, but the Chief held out a hand and blocked his way.

'I'm not finished with you yet.' She said.

This surprised Korra. 'WHAT! But he didn't do anything wrong?' she pointed out.

'I know that.' The chief said. 'There are some things I just need to ask him. Don't get your pony tail in a twist.'

Korra looked like she was about to explode from that comment. She was about to say something when Kuro raised his hand, shaking his head.

'It's fine. Just go, Korra.' He said. He looked towards the chief. 'Let's get started.'

With that, Korra and Tenzin left the room, the wall closing behind them. Seeing that the seat was vacant, Kuro sat down and looked down at the Chief.

'So, what do you want to know?'

Chief Beifong stood in front of him, her arms folded and with a serious look on her face.

'Don't think I didn't notice your reactions when I was interrigsating that sorry excuse for an Avatar.' She said. 'Who are you? And how do you not know what bending or the Avatar is?'

…

'You blatantly disobeyed my wishes and the orders of the White Lotus.'

Tenzin and Korra were currently standing in the waiting room, where Korra was begging Tenzin to allow her to stay in the city. She had come too far in her training to miss out on the chance for her learning Airbending, and she wasn't about to give it up.

'Katara agreed with me that I should come.' Korra argued. 'She said my destiny is in Republic city.'

Tenzin suddenly blushed like a cherry tomato. 'DON'T BRING MY MOTHER INTO THIS!' he yelled in embarrassment.

'Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training. Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar.' She pointed out. 'I saw a lot of the city today and its totally out of whack. I understand now why you need to stay, Republic City does need you… but it needs me too.'

Tenzin was about to protest, but found himself unable to voice any protest, as he saw truth in her words. Instead, he sighed, seeing no point in using words at the moment.

'Is this your polar bear-dog, miss?'

Tenzin and Korra turned to see a white-furred dog the size of, as the name implies, a polar bear, being held by a leash, happily licking the sour-looking officer that was minding her.

'Naga!' Korra said to her animal companion, running up to her and pulling her into a hug, which the Polar bear-dog whined happily to. 'Thank goodness you're okay.'

Tenzin was silent for a mement, before looking back towards the interrogation room. He looked back towards Korra with an inquisitive look.

'Korra, who was that boy who was in there?'

Korra took the leash from the policeman and looked back towards Tenzin, a slight grin on her face. 'He's the reason you won't have as big a bill to pay.'

'… He didn't have to pay anything because of you, did he?' Tenzin asked worryingly.

Korra shook her head. 'No, he stopped one of the stores from getting damaged in the fight. He was pretty… quick…' Korra soon looked slightly hesitant.

As Korra, Tenzin and Naga exited the police station, Tenzin noticed a feeling of unease coming from the young Avatar.

'Is everything alright, Korra?' Tenzin asked.

'It's Kuro.' Korra answered. 'The boy you saw. In the fight, he was fast… he was able to stop one of the thugs from hitting the window in a split second.'

Tenzin's eyes widened slightly from the surprise. 'Impressive.'

'And he jumped twenty feet into the air to dodge a car, while carrying a grown man with one hand.' Korra added.

This surprised Tenzin further. 'That is… unusual. Unless he's a Bender.'

Korra shook her head. 'I don't think so. He didn't even know what a Bender is.'

'Are you serious?' Tenzin asked, turning his head towards the direction of the Police Station. Surprised by this revelation, he pondered on what to do next. He sighed before looking at Korra.

'I'm going to go back there.' He said. 'You head over to the ship and wait for me there…' Tenzin looked at Korra, before looking over at the Polar bear-dog. 'You too, Naga.' He added, causing Naga to whine sadly.

Tenzin turned back and walked briskly towards the police station. As he did, Korra walked on, looking like she was obeying Tenzin's wish. However, when she had gained some distance, she leaned towards Naga.

'Let's circle around and see what's up.'

…

'…'

Chief Beifong and Kuro were still seated in the interrogation room. They had finished their discussion, leaving the Police Chief completely baffled.

'You have no memory of your past?' she asked.

'No.' Kuro answered. It wasn't a complete lie, as he didn't really have a past to remember.

The Chief held her chin, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment of silence, she spoke again.

'So, aside your name, what _can _you remember?' she asked.

Kuro was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, he answered '… I was told… that I have great power.' He answered. '… I hope to find out what that meant.'

The Chief nodded. 'Perhaps this person was referring to Bending.'

That word again.

'Bending… is that what you, Korra and those thugs were using?'

Beifong nodded. 'Yes. Bending is the ability to control the four elements of nature like they were a part of your own body. The Four Nations are named after the bending types in honour of them.'

'I see…' Kuro raised an eyebrow. 'Are people able to learn them from scratch?'

'Only those born with the ability can use bending. Those who can't are simply referred to as non-benders. Not the nicest term, but that's how it is.'

'How many types can people use?'

'A Bender can only use one element. Except for one person. The Avatar.'

Kuro raised an eyebrow at this. 'The Avatar?'

The Chief nodded. 'Yes. The one person who is able to master more than one, in fact all, the elements. Every time the Avatar's end comes, they are reincarnated into a new person, keeping the cycle of the Avatar alive and well.'

Kuro found this quite impressive. He looked own at his hands, flexing his fingers.

'… So… what now?' he asked.

'Well… I can see if I can find a place for you to stay.' Beifong started. 'Though until then, you'll stay here in-'

There was a knock on the wall. Beifong pulled it apart, only to see Tenzin standing there.

Beifong glared at the man. 'What. Now. Tenzin?' she asked, clearly not happy.

Tenzin bowed, keeping a neutral gaze. 'My apologies, Lin. I just wished to speak to the boy.'

'You're not gonna get much out of him. He lost his memories.' Lin responded.

At that, Tenzin turned towards the boy and bowed again. When he straightened up, he looked at the boy apologetically and with concern.

'I'm sorry. I hope it hasn't inconvenienced you too much.' Tenzin said.

Kuro shook his head. 'It's fine. The Chief here caught me up on the basics.'

'And you must've taken some blow to the head if you can't remember Bending, kid.' Lin added.

Tenzin furrowed his brow, finding the level of memory loss this boy had to be rather worrying. And if Korra was right about how strong this boy was, then he could have other abilities that could make him as much of a danger to himself as others.

'… Kuro…' Tenzin offered Kuro a hand. 'How would you like to come stay with me for a bit?'

This surprised Kuro. 'Huh? Really?'

Lin raised an eyebrow at her peer. 'You sure about that?'

'I am.' Tenzin replied. 'We have some remedies over at Air Temple Island that could help the recovery process, and…' Tenzin then began to look uncomfortable, keeping his gaze away from the Chief.'

This didn't go unnoticed by Beifong.

'… Tenzin?'

'Hm?' Tenzin replied innocently. 'Oh, right… Kuro, shall we be on our way?'

Kuro sat up from his seat and walked towards Tenzin. 'Lead the way, sir.'

The red and yellow robed man nodded and lead the way out. The two made their way outside. As they walked, Kuro stopped in front of Tenzin and held an arm out by his side to stop him.

Tenzin raised an eyebrow. 'Is something wrong?'

Kuro looked over to his left, a smile forming on his face. He turned towards that direction of a dark alley and put his hands in his pockets.

'You and your fried good there, Korra?'

At that, the sound of trash cans being knocked over could be heard, as well as the sound of a dog barking in surprise.

'Naga, it's okay, girl!' came Korra's voice from in the alley.

As soon as Tenzin heard Korra's voice he sighed in annoyance. To be frank, he was already too exhausted to be angry anymore. As Korra and Naga walked out of the Ally, Kuro was surprised to see the Polar bear- dog. Looking both fierce, but… cute and cuddly at the same time.

'Hi.' Kuro said, giving Naga a slight wave, to which Naga barked happily.

Korra and Naga stopped right in front of Tenzin and Kuro, Korra rubbing the back of her head.

'… I see your curiosity got the better of you.' Tenzin noted.

'Yeah, it did.' Korra admitted. She then looked over to Kuro. 'So, how are you now?'

'Good, thanks. Chief Beifong just had some follow-up questions, nothing to worry about.' Kuro told her.

'Phew.' Korra said, wiping her forehead. 'I thought that you were getting more trouble because of me.'

Kuro shook his head. 'Nothing like that, I can guarantee that.'

Korra folded her arms and cocked her head to the side. 'What did she ask you about?'

Kuro was about to answer when Tenzin rested a hand on his shoulder.

'We can all discuss this in the morning…' Tenzin looked back at Korra. '_After _your Airbending training, Korra.'

'!'

Korra looked at Tenzin with pure shock, which then slowly turned into an expression of pure joy.

'Are… are you serious?' she asked. 'Does this mean I can stay?'

'I have done my best to guide Republic City towards the dream my father had for it. But you're right, it has fallen out of balance since he passed. I thought I should put your training on hold so as to uphold his legacy…' he place a hand on her shoulder. 'But you _are _his legacy. Republic City needs its Avatar again.'

Tenzin took a step back, knowing what would come next. Korra jumped into the air excitedly, soon after rushing towards Tenzin and pulling him into a hug.

'Thank you, thank you, Tenzin, THANK YOU!' she exclaimed. She released Tenzin and clenched her fists, looking fired up. 'I promise not to let you down.'

Tenzin nodded and smiled at Korra. He then looked over at Kuro. 'Looks like you're going to have a house-mate, my boy.'

Hearing this surprised Korra for a brief moment. However, she slowly picked up on his motives. 'Gonna help him with his problem?' she asked.

'I'll do my best.' Tenzin answered. 'Besides, there's no harm in having someone your age around just in case.'

Tenzin looked back at Kuro. 'Just to warn you, I have some youngsters at home. They can be a bit of a handful.' He said, recalling the amount of energy needed to just keep them out of trouble.

The amethyst-eyed boy didn't seemed bothered. 'It's fine.' He nodded towards Korra. 'If they're any way a handful like _this _one here, it should be fine.'

'HEY!' Korra yelled in annoyance. Soon after, though, the three people laughed together, while Naga wagged her tail happily. As the laughter died down, they decided to make their way to the Island.

'I suppose I'll have to call off the guards that were meant to take you home.' Tenzin said.

Korra shrugged her shoulders. 'Hey, I'm sure they won't be mad for long.'

Kuro raised an eyebrow at the two. 'Uh, if you don't mind me asking, what are the wh-'

Kuro stopped talked and turned his head back so quickly one would think he could've broken his neck. He looked up, narrowing his eyes. His began to glow, a soft glow of blue and black emitting from his eyes. He was faced away from Korra and Tenzin, so they weren't able to see his eyes.

'Kuro?' Tenzin asked, looking up at where the boy was staring.

'Everything okay, dude?' Korra asked, looking up as well.

'…' Kuro didn't answer at first. He was trying down, recovering from a sudden chilling sensation. He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline, a sudden shortness of breath, his heart-beat racing. '… I'm fine… just thought I heard something.'

Korra smiled and patted him on the back. 'Good to know you're alert.' She commented. 'Let's go.'

Tenzin and Korra walked on. Kuro took a few more steps, but came to a stop and looked up at he same spot again.

Whatever it was… he was sure it was trouble.

….

In another location, in an underground base, several men dressed in dark clothes and masks looked to be preparing for something. Several of them were putting on mechanical gloves and flexing the fingers, which caused them to emit a spark of electricity.

One of these men, wearing goggles that showed his eyes and wearing a mask that covered the top half of his face, walked up to another individual. This one was dressed in leather armour, wearing a hood and a mask that completely obscured his face. The only part of his that wasn't covered was his hands.

'Preparations are nearly complete. We'll be ready to take action within a few days.' The man with the goggles said. 'We'll be ready to start a new world.'

'**No.**' the masked man said. '**The world will be the same as it was…**' he turned around, giving his second in command a full view of the mask. '**we will be saving this world. Ridding it of its impurity.**' He turned around again, looking at a map of the city. '**The revelation will be the catalyst for our crusade… Republic City will know of our power…**' the masked man curled his hands into fists.

'**No one will be able to stop us.**'

'Not quite, Amon.'

The masked man, now Amon, turned around to see another figure slowly walking his way. Amon's eyes narrowed in displeasure upon seeing who it was.

The man in question had platinum-blond hair, dark brown eyes and was pale to the point that it looked like he was without blood. He wore a black sleeveless button jacket, leather gloves, a pair of green digital camo shorts and sandals. He looked at Amon with a blade-like smile while fixing his gloves.

'**Have you something to report… Faust?**' Amon asked, irritation in his voice.

Faust nodded. 'Indeed I do. You're little _revolution _is currently under threat.' He folded his arms and narrowed his tired-looking eyes. 'We have a special guest in our city. Hint, a girl who could Firebend, Earthbend and Waterbend gang thugs easily.'

Amon narrowed his eyes in intrigue. '**Three elements…**' had anyone been able to see through his mask, they would've seen a semblance of a smile. '**So… the Avatar has graced us with her presence.**'

'What!?' the second in command exclaimed. 'The Avatar is here?' he asked in anger. 'We need to find her and take her out before she causes us problems!'

'**No.**' Amon said.

This surprised the second in command. 'Amon, with respect, why would y-'

'**If we attack the Avatar this soon, she would only become a Martyr to our enemies. For now, we need to accelerate out schedule. Build our support further, take the city… and then…**' he raised a fist up to his mask. '**We take. Her. Down.**'

The second in command didn't like this. He felt that the Avatar was too big a threat to their cause. However, If Amon said that this was the course to take, then he would listen.

'Yes, Amon.' The second in command then looked towards Faust. 'Did you see anyone else you think could pose a threat to us?'

Faust put on a mock thinking pose. '… Hmm… Nope, only the girl.' He answered. 'Though if I find anyone else, I'll leave them to you.' He said, turning around and clicking his fingers. As he did, he vanished in a blur. To most in the room, it was shocking and caused many of them to jump. Only Amon and his second in command were unphased by this.

'… think he was telling the truth?' the second in command asked.

'… **Not the whole truth.**' Amon stated. '**But we can't worry about that for now.**' Amon looked back at the map.

'**It's time we started the first phase.**'

…

Faust appeared in the park. It was the middle of the night, and there was no one in the park. Deciding to take the weight off his feet, he found a nearby bench and flopped onto it, resting his left leg on his right knee. He tilted his head back, an unsettling chuckle coming out of his throat.

'Well I'll be damned.' He said. 'Didn't think I'd see one of my siblings so soon…' his grin started to slowly fade away. 'And he was stupid enough to lose his memories. What a sorry excuse…'

Faust flexed his fingers. As he did, several plants and a six feet radius of grass started to quickly dry up and die. All the flora in that range became brown and lifeless.

Faust eyes flickered red for a brief moment, taking slight glee in the death of nature. 'Well… may as well cut out the weak as soon as possible… let's hope he's at least entertaining before he rots away.'

**And that's the start of a new fic. What do you think?**

**To be honest, i was meant to work on 'Sky Havoc in Remnant' and a Castlevania x Legend of Korra fic I was working on before this, but i ended up writing this instead. Ah well.**

**Well, the only real thing i wanted to say was that, if anyone saw the review section in 'Dark Angel of Remnant', you'd have seen a request for a DMC x Dragonball crossover. And, while i'm not really the biggest fan of Dragonball, i like the premise of the story. If i get the chance, i'll start to plan it out and see how it goes, but won't make any promises. Things have gotten a bit busier over here and I reckon I'll be slower writing and updating... and that's saying something.**

**In the mean time, hope you enjoy this and my other works i did so far. In the mean time, i need to sign off. It's past midnight here and i really need some rest. See you all later, hope you all have a grand day.**


	2. Chapter 2

'Kuro, are you up?'

Kuro slowly opened his eyes, his head aching for some reason, causing him to groan in pain. He rested a hand on his forehead, wishing the pain would go away. He sat up on the futon, but found that the pain seemed to worsen.

He wanted nothing more than to lie back on the bed and go back to sleep. Ironically, he felt he hadn't had enough sleep yet.

He was about to lie down when he heard the sound of someone laughing.

'Guess you still need some rest, don't you?'

At the sound of the voice, Kuro looked over to see its owner.

Pema, Tenzin's wife and one of the Air Acolytes, non-bending followers of the air nomad life, had long, brown hair that was tied up at the back, green eyes and was dressed in similar red and yellow robes like Tenzin and the other Air Acolytes. She also looked to be pregnant, and it seemed like the baby would be due in a few weeks.

Kuro lowered his hand and tried his best to smile. '… I think so… Though I thought that I'd be more refreshed after the rest… but now I feel… not so good.' He explained.

'Well, you've only been asleep for an hour.' Pema pointed out. 'I'm pretty sure you need a little more than that to feel better. Do you want to get some more rest?'

Kuro shook his head and stood up. 'No… don't think I'd be able to sleep again, anyway.'

Pema looked concerned for the boy, but didn't want to argue with him. 'Well, if you say so. How about some breakfast then?'

Kuro was about to respond when a growling noise went through the room. Kuro looked around wondering where the noise came from.

'By any chance is Naga in here?' he asked.

At that, Pema laughed lightly, much to Kuro's confusion. 'That's your stomach.' She said. 'Let's go get something to eat.'

Kuro nodded in agreement. Wit that, the two of them made their way out of the male residence, with Pema leading their way to the food hall. Upon entering, Kuro saw the rest of the Acolytes, as well as Tenzin and Korra, eating breakfast.

Korra was reading a newspaper, reading it with a light glee. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pema and Kuro entering the hall, lowering the paper to great them.

'Hey guys.' Korra said to them. 'Better hurry, food's getting cold.' She said, pointing to the toast and porridge.

One of the things Kuro found out about the lifestyle of the Air Nomads is that they live in harmony, as well as protect nature. As such, one of the rules they follow is that they cannot eat meat.

Kuro sat at the end of the table, while Pema sat beside Tenzin. Pema looked over at Korra, who had gone back to reading the newspaper.

Smiling, Pema asked 'See something in there you like?'

Korrra lowered the paper again and looked at Pema with an excited grin. 'Yeah. I was reading up on the recent Pro-Bending matches. They're so awesome.' She said. 'Hey, how about we all go check out one of the matches, it'll be fun.'

Kuro raised an eyebrow. 'Pro-Bending?' he asked.

'A mockery of Bending.' Tenzin answered, looking slightly sour-faced while talking about it. 'And I don't want you anywhere near those matches, Korra.'

'What?' Korra asked. 'C'mon, Tenzin. I've dreamed of seeing a Pro-Bending match, and now I'm only a boat-ride away from one.'

'You're here to learn Airbending, Korra. I ask you to stay here so you can study in a quiet and calm environment.'

Kuro looked at Tenzin curiously. 'Is that really a good idea?' he asked. 'I mean, training here, sure that's fine, but… I don't think it's wise to keep her here all the time, is all.'

'I don't plan to trap her here, Kuro. However I don't want her wondering off when she is suppose to be training.' Tenzin said to him.

'Hey, I'm right here.' Korra added, not liking that she was being ignored. 'Don't I get a say in this?'

Tenzin looked at Korra. 'I'm sorry, Korra, but for the time being I must ask you to focus on your training for now.' He said.

Korra slumped forward, lloking defeated. '… Fine, you're the master.'

She then turned around, looking at the view of Republic City from an open window. Kuro saw the look of disappointment on her face. Unable to think of a way to help her, he took the paper, seeing that she was finished reading it and thought he'd have a read through it himself.

'…' Kuro only looked at it for two seconds before he tilted his head in confusion.

Pema noticed this and asked 'Is everything okay?'

'… Out of curiosity…' Kuro turned the paper around to show them, what appeared to be, a woman in a two-piece swim-suit lying back on a large cushion, holding a bottle of cooking oil. 'Why's she dressed like that? Does it have anything to do with cooking at all?'

Seeing the picture, as well as hearing Kuro's question, there were a variety of reactions. Tenzin immediately blushed, turning away from the picture, Pema widened her eyes in surprise of Kuro's apparent innocence, while Korra just burst out laughing, to the point that she fell onto side and clutching she sides.

Kuro kept turning his head as he looked at all three, looking more baffled than before.

'… What?'

….

Later on that day, Kuro was seated at a different part of the Island. After breakfast, he was wanting to explore more of the Island, see if there was anything else to do while he was here.

As he was walking, he was curious as to what had gotten everyone flustered at breakfast. To them, seeing that picture was uncomfortable… well, aside from Korra, who still seemed to be laughing at him. At least she wasn't in such a bad mood anymore.

He had decided to seat himself in front of a contraption that caught his eye. A collection of large, wooden planks. He leaned from side to side, looking at it from slightly different angles.

'Wonder what that's about?' he asked, putting his hands behind his head and was about to rest his back on the ground.

'OOOOH, you wanna try it!?'

Kuro stopped as he was just about to hit the ground, hearing one of the three reasons he had struggled to fall asleep. He sat up properly to see three children, all dressed in Air Nomad attire, hovering in at top speed on balls of air. If he was right, Tenzin called it the 'Air Scooter'.

They all circled around him before coming to a complete stop. The first one wad a girl who had brown, mid-length hair that was tied into a bun on the top of her head and had brown eyes. The second was a younger girl with brown hair, sporting two hair accessories and had light grey eyes. The third, the youngest, was a small boy who currently had no hair, but had grey-blue eyes that made him look more like Tenzin.

Jinora, Ikki and Meelo respectively all looked rather eager, and just as energtic as they were last night when they celebrated Korra's staying on the Island. They also took the liberty of bombarding Kuro with question… well, really it was Ikki and Meelo, while Jinora was trying her best to get him out of their interrogation.

'Morning, kids.' He said to them.

'Who're you callin' kid, bub?' Meelo asked, folding his arms and trying to look assertive.

Kuro grinned at Meelo's sass. He had a feeling he was going to go far in life.

Ikki jumped over to him and asked 'So, are you here to help with Korra's training too?'

Kuro looked a bit confused. 'Uh, I was actually just exploring the Island.' He said. 'Thoguh since I'm here, I guess I can help. What's the plan?'

Jinora was about to speak, but stopped when she heard someone coming up the steps. She smiled and looked back at Kuro. 'You're about to find out.'

As soon as she said that, Korra, now dressed in Air Nomad clothes, and Tenzin could be seen walking up the steps. Korra looked at the planks of wood and looked intrigued.

'What is _this _contraption?' she asked.

'That is a time honored tool, that teaches the most fundamental aspect of Airbending.' Tenzin answered. He looked over towards his eldest child. 'Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?'

Jinora nodded. 'The goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them.' She said.

Kuro looked at the gates with interest. 'Seems manageable to me.' He noted.

'Jinora forgot to say you have to make your way through the gates while they're spinning.' Ikki added.

At that, Tenzin readied his stance. He took in a deep breath, building up condensed air into his hands. Then, thrusting his arms out, he fired the air at the gates, making the gates rotate rather quickly at first, before they began to spin a calmer speed.

'... Okaaaay... that's trickier.' Kuro admitted.

Tenzin held of a leaf and let it flow towards the gates. 'The key is to be like the leaf.' He said, watching as the leaf soared through the spinning gates, not coming in contact with the gates at all. 'Flow with the movements of the gates.'

Tenzin looked over to Jinora. 'Jinora will demonstrate.'

The girl nodded before moving towards the gates. She then began going through, successfully avoiding contact with the gates, managing to make it through successfully.

Korra nodded after seeing that. 'Okay… I think I get it now.'

'Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to change direction at any given moment's notice.' Tenzin explained.

Jinora then sent a blast of air at the gates, helping them to continue to spin.

Korra glared at the gates. 'Let's do this thing.' She said, charging head first towards the gates. As soon as she stepped in, she immediately started hitting the gates, painfully slamming into them one by one. Tenzin and Kuro both cringed at seeing the painful attempt.

After a moment, Korra was slammed out of the gates back towards Tenzin, the kids and Kuro. Irritated, Korra got back on her feet and charged at the gates again. This time meeting the same results.

'Don't force your way through!' Jinora yelled.

'Dance! Dance like the wind!' Ikki added.

'Be the leaf!' Meelo also added.

Sadly, that advice was given in vain, as Korra was slammed out of the gates again, spinning around in a daze herself before collapsing in front of Tenzin, who only sighed at the display.

Kuro stood up and walked over to Korra, helping her back onto her feet. 'You okay there?'

'… I think… I need a break.' Korra answered, still looking too dazed to think properly.

'Perhaps we should call it a day.' Tenzin said, seeing that Korra would benefit from some medical help. He took Korra and put an arm over his shoulder. 'I'll bring her to the acolytes. I'll see you all in a bit.'

'Okay, bye Daddy.' Ikki said.

Tenzin then walked off with Korra in tow. As they left, Kuro looked back towards the gates. He looked rather interested in the contraption.

'… Hey, Jinora.'

'Yes?' Jinora asked.

'Any chance you can give the gates a blast of air?' he asked.

Meelo looked back and forth between Kuro and the gates. 'You wanna try it?'

'No harm, right?' Kuro pointed out.

'Except with Korra getting whacked around like a flying pigeon hawk flying blind through a forest.' Ikki pointed out.

Kuro grinned at the random, but fair, point she made. However, he was still keen to try it out. Getting through these gates required more skill than he originally thought. And with this, he might be able to see what other skills he had under his belt.

'Well, if you're sure.' Jinora said, firing a blast of air at the gates.

As they spun, Kuro moved, remembering how Jinora made her way through. He managed to weave his way through to the center of the circle, surprising the Airbending children.

As he reached the centre, he accidently placed his foot in an awkward position, resulting him to move awkwardly. He soon found himself tripping forward and was about to hit one of the boards face first.

'Oh no!' Jinora yelled, knowing what would come next.

Just as Kuro was about to come in contacted with the board, his eyes began to glow, as they did the other night, followed by radiating a blue and black aura around his form. Twisting his body, he managed to avoid the board.

'WHOA! LOOK!'Meelo yelled, pointing towards Kuro.

Now upright, Kuro began spiraling more rapidly than the boards, managing to weave through the gates with ease, while emitting the dark aura. In seconds, he was outside the spinning gates, taking a few more seconds to stop spiraling and for the aura to fade. After the power faded, his eyes returned to normal.

The children ran up to him, looking awed by what they saw.

'WOW, that was cool!' Ikki yelled. 'How did you do that? Are you really that fast? What was with that weird black and blue stuff around you? Is that a form of Bending? How Long can you do it for? Do you-'

'Ikki, Ikki, calm down.' Jinora said, placing a hand on her shoulder. 'No need to barrage him with questions like that.'

Kuro looked rather uncomfortable. He didn't mean to display that kind of power to them right off the bat. Now, chances are, he was going to have more than a few issues trying to explain this.

… Although, judging by the sudden sick feeling in his stomach, and the shade of green coloring his face, there were other things that needed more concern for.

Ikki saw his face and expression. 'Kuro? Are you okay?'

'… Urp-' Kuro slapped a hand over his mouth as he felt bil rising from his stomach.

Meelo recognized it immediately. 'Uh oh! CODE GREEN! CODE GREEN!' he yelled, grabbing a hold of his hand and pulled him towards a nearby bush.

Jinora sighed. 'I guess spinning around like that wasn't good for his stomach.'

As this was happening, one of the Air Acolytes came up the steps.

'Children.' He said, catching Jinora and Ikki's attention. 'I came to let you know that lunch has been prepared. Hope you all worked up an appitite.'

At that, the sound of Kuro loosing the contents of his stomach could be heard. The Acolye looked surprised, Jinora cringed in sympathy, while Ikki laughed.

'Looks like someone has room now.'

….

Later on in the evening, everyone helped themselves to dinner, aside from Kuro who still didn't feel like eating anything. Afterwards, Korra got back to working on her Airbending. To practice, she got a copy of the newspaper, opened on a page with a picture of the Police Chief.

She thrusted her arms out.

'Airbend!' she exclaimed, hoping to fire a blast of air.

No such luck for this Avatar.

'What is wrong with me!?' she asked herself. 'AIRBEND!'

Still no luck for her.

'… RRAAGH!' she roared, using firebending to incinerate the newspaper and the wire it was suspended by.

Korra turned back to Naga, who looked bored from watching her try to do her thing for so long without any results.

'Maybe I'm Just not cut out for Airbending, huh, Naga?' she asked.

'I wouldn't give up just yet.'

Korra turned and Naga perked up upon hearing Kuro the Avatar saw Kuro walking up to them.

'Hey. Feeling better?' Korra asked him.

The boy shrugged his shoulders. 'It could be worse, I guess.' He admitted. 'At least I stopped turning green. How are you getting on?'

Korra placed her hands on her hips, now looking a bit dispirited.

'I was trying to Airbend… but it won't work.' She said. 'No matter how hard I try, nothing happens. It's so…' Korra slumped forward.

Kuro placed a hand on his chin as he let himself get lost in thought for a bit. After a few seconds, an idea popped to mind.

'Do you think that you're struggling because you're trying to force it?' he suggested.

'Huh?' Korra looked at him in confusion. 'What do you mean?'

'I talked a little bit about Airbending with Tenzin… after I managed to stop throwing up.' He said, the second half wit a look of unpleasantness. '… Anyway, he said that it's more so about… going with the flow, more than anything.'

'I know, but… I try to relax, listen to what Tenzin says, but… I just don't have the patience, I guess.'

'I'm not talking about relaxing.' Kuro said.

'Huh?' Korra said, now looking confused.

Kuro looked out into the distance, his eyes catching sight of the Pro-Bending arena. He remembered how much she was wanting to go see those matches. A grin soon spread across his face before he pointed towards the ground.

'I have something I want to try, but I'll need your help to bring it into action.' He said.

'Um, sure.' Korra agreed still confused. 'What you need?'

With that, Kuro directed Korra what to do, having her use her Earthbending to draw lines in the ground. After a minute, Kuro told Korra that they were finished. She took a step back, seeing that it looked like…

'Wait a minutes…' she said, a grin breaking out on her face.'

Kuro put his hands behind his head. 'Heh heh… figured if Tenzin wouldn't let you go to a Pro-Bending match, we'd have our own here.'

Korra looked ready to burst with excitement. Her expression soon fell, however, much to Kuro's bafflement.'

'What's wrong?' he asked.

'… Well… for starters, there's only one zone on each side.' She said. 'I thought there were three.'

'Well… I may have wanted to make this a bit more challenging.' Kuro admitted. 'Plus, it's linked to an ulterior motive I have.'

'Oh?' Korra asked, folding her arms. 'What's that?'

'You'll' find out in a bit. But, for now…' Kuro jogged over towards a nearby tree, reached behind it and pulled out a sack. He reached inside and pulled out a small ball.

'What's that? Korra asked.

'A ball filled with wool.' He answered. 'Since I can't bend, I decided I could use these and you could use your Firebending.'

'Firebending?' Korra asked. 'Are you sure about that? We could get some water and I could Waterbend.'

Kuro nodded. 'It'll be fine, trust me.'

Korra was still unsure, but if he was confident, then who was she to turn him down. She stepped into the ring and readied a fighting stance. Kuro stepped into the other side of the ring, bringing the sack in with him. He took out two of the balls, throwing one up into the air and letting it drop back into his hand.

'Ready?' he asked.

Korra nodded. 'Yeah, let's-'

Korra didn't get to finish, as Kuro launched one of the balls directly at Korra, hitting her square in the head. As the projectile was soft, it didn't do any damaged, but the surprised made Korra stumble back, before she fell onto her backside.

She looked at Kuro, a look of anger on her face.

'You said you were ready.' Kuro pointed out.

Korra didn't stay angry for much longer, instead grinning and eyeing Kuro with determination. She got back on her feet and readied herself.

'Better watch yourself, dude.' She said, followed by a volley of fire blasts that were headed Kuro's way.

The amethyst-eyed boy knelt down, avoiding the first wave of flames. He then rolled to the sides, avoiding more of the flames. As more of the salvos closed in on him, he decided to use the same move as earlier. In a quick motion, he spun himself around. While he didn't emit a dark aura this time, he spun around, the fire missing him each time by a split-second.

Korra saw this, amazed that he was able to move so quickly. However, she wasn't about to give up. Deciding to switch it up, she swung her leg out, sending a crescent flame strike towards Kuro. He had jumped into the air, still spinning, avoiding the attack and replied to her attack with the second ball he held, throwing it at her stomach. This time, the ball had more force behind it, and Korra was thrown out of the ring.

'Agh!' Korra yelled as she hit the ground back first.

Kuro landed on the ground, looking slightly more serious than before. 'You've got a fair bit of power there… but your defenses is weak.' He said. 'Looks like you're trying to force your way through.'

Korra stood up again and put her fists on her hips, looking at him accusingly. 'Yeah, so? What better way than through?'

'A number of times, none.' He admitted. 'But… there would be times when your way would be like trying to break a wall of platinum with one of these.' He said, referring to the training balls. 'You're essentially out of luck in those kinds of scenarios.'

Kuro folded his arms and stepped to the side. 'What you need to think of is… rather than go through, why not circle _around _the problem. Take all the paths and opportunities open to you… like a gust of wind travelling through a house. There are tones of paths.'

'…' Korra looked like she had no idea what he was talking about.

'How about this?' he suggested. 'If I were to throw this at you right now, what would you do?'

'Block it or burn it.' She stated.

Kuro nodded. 'Okay. Now, instead, try and dodge it.' He said, throwing the ball.

Korra managed to avoid the ball easily enough, but looked panicked when she saw him throwing more balls. As he continuously threw the balls at her, he wondered just how many he had in that sack.

Korra managed to dodge them for a few moments. But, she wasn't able to hold out for long. Eventually, she got caught in the volley, being pelted with balls for about a second before Kuro stopped.

'Guess this round goes to me, too.' He said. But still, you see what i was trying to tell you?

Korra, after standing up again, looked behind her, seeing the number of balls that she had managed to avoid because of Kuro's advise...

'... I think so' she said.

'Great.' Kuro said. 'Ready for another.'

'ABSOLUTELY NOT!'

Korra and Kuro froze when they heard Tenzin yelling. They both looked up to see the Aibending Master glaring down at them.

'Just what do you think you're doing?' he asked them, the volume of his voice having lowered, but the anger still present for them to see.

Kuro raised his hand. 'I set this up. I figured it-'

'Kuro!' Tenzin snapped. 'I thought I made it clear that I don't want this Pro-Bending business here on the Island.'

'Hey, you told _me_ that I couldn't _watch_ Pro-Bending.' Korra stated while pointing to herself. 'You never asked Kuro of anything.'

Tenzin was silent for a moment, trying to rebuttal what Korra said. Befoe he could, though, Kuro held his hand up.

'It was something I wanted to try.' Kuro told him. 'I know that the methods for teaching are important and have taught Airbenders to harness their power, but I reckoned that if Korra could-'

'Kuro.' Tenzin interrupted, walking up to him. 'I know you wish to help… but please leave the teaching to me.'

'…' Hearing this left Kuro surprised, followed by a dampening in his spirit. Looking crestfallen, he picked up his sack and bowed towards Tenzin. '… O … Okay.' He managed to say before walking off.

Korra saw Kuro walk away, clearly seeing him trying to hold in his emotions. By the time he was out of ear-shot, Korra turned to Tenzin in anger.

'WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!?' she asked loudly. 'Kuro was just trying to help!'

Tenzin looked at Korra, looking rather guilty. 'I know… and I'd rather not have had to do that to him… but to learn to Airbend, you need to learn the proper way.' He looked back to the direction where Kuro had walked off to. 'I'll talk to him in the morning.'

'You'd better.' Korra said. 'I'm hitting the sack. See you tomorrow.' She added, turning in for the night, hoping that tomorrow would be a better day.

….

'UGH! That was so BORING!'

Korra was seated on the shore of the Island, stretching her arms as she complained about the day. From what Kuro could pick up, they had been mostly meditating for the day, which also lead to a spat between her and Tenzin. Having already picked up on Korra's lack of patience, he could tell that there would be no luck for Korra's training if things continued this way.

'All we did was sit around all day, and Tenzin was saying that we should "Free ourselves" and stuff like that. How can he talk about freedom when he's keeping me trapped here!?' she yelled.

'Yeah, yeah, sound's great.' Kuro replied.

Baffled by Kuro's response, she looked towards the boy seated beside her… or rather, lying beside her with a book resting on his face.

'Kuro? Are you listening to me?' she asked him.

Kuro took the book of his face and looked at Korra with a bored expression. 'I was for the first five minutes… but then I kinda dozed off.' He admitted.

The Avatar rolled her eyes in annoyance. But she sighed and decided to rest on the ground entirely.

'I'm getting too worked up over this.' She said.

With Korra wallowing in her own frustration, Kuro decided to go back to his book. It was something he got on loan from Jinora. A story about a man who survived war and turmoil as a child, and needing to adjust in a world without having to steal, kill and… essentially, not have to live that kind of life any more.

The more he read, the more he found himself engrossed in the story. He didn't think pieces of paper with writing on it could have such an effect on him. It must be one of the effects of being… human…

Korra suddenly sat up, slamming a fist into her other palm.

'That's it! I'm going!' she yelled before getting back on her feet.

Kuro looked away from the book again. 'Sorry?'

Korra didn't respond, but instead just walked off, leaving Kuro on his own.

'… Okay then.' He said, deciding to go back to reading the book.

Admittedly, he wanted to go to Korra and see if she was okay. But, were he to ask that, she would lose her temper again. For now, it was probably best to let her have her space… at least to make sure she doesn't burn him.

As Kuro read the book, there was one line from the page he was on that caught his eye.

_Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it._

'…' Kuro closed the book and rested it on the ground beside him. He folded his arms as he looked up into the sky.

He was meant to be a being of pure darkness. Darkness was supposed to represent evil, while light was supposed to represent good. And yet, he found himself wanting to be good, living with those of the light…

This was all so… confusing.

Kuro wiped his face before sitting up and picking up the book.

'I should talk to Tenzin about him and Korra. Maybe there is a way-'

Kuro felt a shiver go down his spine, making him look back. He then rolled to the side, avoiding a murky-green beam that struck the spot that Kuro just was. Kuro looked back again to see who the culprit was, only to see that no one was there.

'Who did that?' he asked calmly. '… Show your face.'

'If you insist.'

Stepping out from behind one of the trees was a corpse-like boy dressed in a black jacket, green pants, gloves and sandals. He was adjusting the gloves as he casually approached Kuro.

'You're fast.' He noted. 'Fast for one who had only just arisen from his slumber.'

'!' Kuro widened his eyes in surprise. He took a fighting stance, keeping his eyes on this stranger.

'Who, the heck, are you?' Kuro asked, looking at this man with narrowed eyes.

The stranger chuckled lightly. 'You're looking confident. You were rather frightened by my presence the other night.' He walked towards Kuro. He stopped momentarily, noticing a patch of grass growing amidst the stone ground. '… My name, is Faust…'

Faust held his hand over the grass. As he did, it quickly began to grow yellow, drying and becoming lifeless. When Faust was satisfied, he brought his hand back, an unsettling smirk on his face.

'Impressed?' he asked. 'My power allows me to drain life from any living thing. Their life becomes my strength… my means of becoming the strongest.'

Kuro looked at Faust in confusion.

'You don't control darkness?' he asked.

'…' After a moment of silence, Faust burst out laughing. As he laughed, Kuro felt even more unsettled. The laughter was that of one without any soul. One with no mercy or caring. It was a relief when he finally stopped.

'Wow, you really are fresh off the shelf, kid.' He said. 'While we are Darkness, and able to use it, that's only the tip of the Iceburg for us.' He answered. 'Our true power… the power hidden beneath that shell of shadows… I guarantee that you'll find that much more interesting.' He said.

Kuro slowly lowered his guard, seeing that Faust had no interest in causing him harm… for now.

'What do you want?' he asked.

'Oh, can't a guy come to visit the guy who's essentially his brother?' he asked, trying to feign innocence.

Kuro's fists became engulfed in dark energy, the intensity leveling that of the glare Kuro was sending Faust's way.

'… Okay, not fond of humor, are we?' Faust asked. 'Alright. If you must know, I'm here to warn you about your little "Avatar" friend.'

'What about her?' Kuro asked.

'Well… currently, I'm acquainted with a man who sees the girl as… a threat, to life's goal.' He answered. 'Now… he won't be harming her in any way for a while… but… When the time comes…'

Faust's eyes glowed, and a murky-green aura soon surrounded him as well.

'**You'd better be ready be ready for the CARNAGE, KID!**'

Kuro dashed towards Faust, pulling his arm back as he readied to strike. Unconsciously, his fingers were outstretched like claws. As he go closer, the skin on his hands and forearms became black, with navy veins appearing as well. The tips of his fingers became pointed and sharp, looking like they could cut clean through anything.

And that was Kuro's very intention as he closed in on Faust.

The life-drainer only smirked again.

'Later.'

The aura that surrounded him engulfed him in a blink of an eye, Kuro slashed at the aura, only for it to dissipate, showing that Faust was gone. He looked back, seeing that Faust was gone.

Kuro saw the smoke emitting from his hands, looking down to see what they had morphed into. He looked at his palms questioningly, wondering if this was another aspect to his power… or was it?

The confusion he felt removed the anger he felt towards Faust. This, in turn caused the shadows surrounding his arms to fade, as well as his forearms and hands returning to normal.

'What… was that?

Kuro was silent for a moment, before looking towards Republic City. Faust said that his acquaintance was working on something to hurt Korra. And if that was the case…

Does this guy have anything planned for the city?

'Kuro!'

Kuro was brought back from his thoughts after hearing Ikki calling out to him. He looked behind him to see her and Pema walking up to him. He straightened himself up and greeted them with a smile.

'Pema, Ikki. How are you guys?'

'Were fine. We came to tell you that dinner's ready. You wanna come with us?' Ikki said to him.

'There's no rush, just so you know.' Pema added. 'If you need to do anything before… Kuro? Are you okay?' she asked, seeing he was trying to hide a look of worry.

'… No… just…' Kuro faked a yawn. 'I pushed myself when I was training earlier… guess the adrenaline's not gone yet.'

Pema didn't look convinced, but she decided to let the matter drop.

'Okay, then. How about we et something to eat?'

'YAY! FOOD!' Ikki yelled before dashing towards the house, with Pema and Kuro following behind.

As Kuro walked on, Faust's last words kept haunting him.

_**You'd better be ready be ready for the CARNAGE, KID!**_

'…'

Unknown to Pema or Ikki, the whites of Kuro's eyes became black, while his eyes became royal blue.

Whatever Faust and his ally were up to… he won't let it happen.

…..

Meanwhile, with Korra, she was seated in the locker room that was right next to the Pro-Bending arena. Around her, thousands of people were full of excitement, cheering on the players.

Korra was focused on the team clad in red. It was the final round, and only one member from that team, the fire ferrets, was trapped in the last zone, letting the other team wear themselves out. She was afraid that the other team would take him out and win the match.

However, this player then started to go on the offensive. As he did, the opposition then started to go down one by one. The smile on Korra's face seemed to grow as This player came closer and closer to winning.

Finally, after jumping into the air and landing a fire punch on the last player, the fire ferret knocked him off the arena.

'**WIN BY KNOCKOUT. ONE MORE MATCH AND THE FIRE FERRETS ARE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIPS!**'

The crowd went wild, the last player standing taking of his helmet, showing to have black, messy hair and amber eyes. Despite having accomplished such a spectacular win, he looked rather calm.

One of the other players, a teenager boy with green eyes, jumped into the locker room, looking rather proud and ecstatic over his team's victory.

'Did you see that!? We were on FIRE! One more matcvh and we're in the Tournament!' he said. He soon took on a more suave tone. 'Sooo… Koraa. What's you think of that?'

'What did I think? What did I THINK!?' she asked, grabbing the boy, known as Bolin, by his collar. 'I thought that was AMAZING!' she said before pushing him away. As she did, the other two players of the team walked in.

'What was wrong with you?' the amber-eyed boy asked.

'Hey, we won, didn't we?' the other boy asked.

'Barely. We could've lost the match because of you.'

'Whatever, get of my case, man.'

The The Waterbender took his helmet off and threw it at the ground in frustration before walking out of the locker room.

Korra looked to the amber-eyed boy. 'Hey, Mako, that was amazing! It was so cool watching… you…' Korra's speech trailed off as she saw that the boy, Mako, was ignoring her.

'Don't worry about him, he can get like that sometimes.' Bolin said.

Korra sighed before speaking to him. 'Don't worry, it's fine. Say… any chance you can teach me those moves?'

'Teaching the fangirls now, huh Bolin?' Mako said.

'Just ignore him.' Bolin said to Korra. 'Anyway, I'd say that can show you a thing or two… but I'm not sure how My Earthbending will translate to your Waterbending.'

'No, it's okay.' Korra reassured him. 'I'm actually an Earthbender.'

'… Oh.' Bolin said, suddenly panicked. 'I, uh… assumed that you… uh… were a Waterbender… given you're… Water Tribe get up, and… all.'

'No, you're right. I'm also a Waterbender. And a Firebender.' Korra replied.

Bolin seemed to have trouble understanding. '… Okay… Now I'm confused.'

Mako, on the hand, picked up on the meaning. '… You're the Avatar… and I'm an idiot.

'Right on both counts.' Korra answered.

'…' Bolin widened his eyes in shock and amazement. He slowly turned to Mako while pointing towards Korra. 'She's the AVATAR!'

Korra grinned at how the two were reacting. But, more so to do with just about everything tonight. She got to see her first ever Pro-Bending match, she got to meet some cool people… well, Bolin was kind of a dork, but he's pretty cool all the same. Plus, she was going to get some tips that could help her Earthbending. She couldn't wait to tell Kuro when she gets back to Air Temple Island.

In fact, she was so happy, she didn't notice the other presence that was listening in on them from outside.

A Woman, a couple years older than the teens, sport long, black hair that was tied into a long pony tail, hazel eyes and slightly pale skin. She was wearing a white button shirt, a black choker around her neck, black jeans and, strangely, not wearing any footwear.

After hearing the two boys saying that Korra was the Avatar, she had a look of surprise on her face.

'_The Avatar, huh?_' this woman thought. '_The ultimate source of light in this world…_'

The woman grinned and walked away, putting her hands in her pockets. As she walked away, her eyes softened into a look of worry.

'With Faust and the others here… those kids are in for some hardship.' She said out loud.

With that, she was briefly covered in a sliver aura. It quickly engulfed her before it vanished in a blink of an eye, with her along with it.

**Chapter End.**

**Hope all you readers enjoyed this chapter. For myself, I aim to stick with the main idea of the Cannon, but i'm going to make a fair number of Kingdom Hearts style changes to make sure it's not solely focused on LOK. Hopefully I'll do that well, but we'll see.**

**Secondly, in case anyone asks, for the thirteen pieces of darkness, I decided that they will each gain unique powers of their own, not just darkness. Partly for the sake of variety and make sure that it's not boring, but mainly i'm fairly certain that just because one may be pure darkness in the KH universe, that shouldn't restrict what powers they could use.**

**So far, We see Faust having the ability to drain life to make himself stronger, but you never know... it might evolve into something darker.**

**As for Kuro's exact power and the woman... well, you'll have to wait and see. Sorry.**

**Well, that's all i can think to say at the moment. Don;t forget to leave a review to say what you think and if you think i could improve on anything. In the mean time, I'm off. See you all later, have a great day.**


	3. Chapter 3

Korra woke up from her slumber, feeling rather refreshed. She looked around, finding herself in her room in Air Temple Island. Rolling her shoulders, she hopped out of the bed and walked out of her room, still in her pajamas and with her hair down. She walked outside, taking in a deep breath of fresh hair and exhaling.

'Ahhh… look's like it's gonna be a great day, today.' She said, observing the weather.

After the Pro-Bending match and the two brothers found out she was the Avatar, Bolin held up his promise to show her some Earthbending tricks. His style was definitely different to how she normally uses it, focusing on being agile before standing firm briefly to strike. Having come back from the session, Korra felt like she had a weight lifted off her shoulders. All the frustration she had felt from before had gone out the window and she was ready to focus on her training again.

"… Well, better get changed." She said. "Tenzin's gonna want… to…"

She was about to go back inside and change, when she caught sight of Kuro. She was about to call out to him when she noticed something strange.

He was in a crouch, one leg outstretched behind him while the opposite arm was out by his side. He looked like an animal ready to pounce, his expression calm but serious. He had his eyes closed, as if waiting for something. Curious, she folded her arms and waited to see what he was going to do.

After a few more seconds, his eyes snapped open, showing a cold, steely glare. He swung his outstretched leg in a crescent motion, the force strong enough to make a brief gust of wind that blew the leaves off of some trees. He then continued to spin, standing on one hand to keep himself up as he moved like a twister. After a couple of seconds, he stopped and landed with ease. He the swung his other foot around, turning in a full circle, followed by swiping his hand out, his fingers outstretched like claws as he struck the air.

That last action surprised Korra. Why use his fingers like claws? Wouldn't it be better to use his fist?

Kuro rolled backwards, shooting his foot up before rolling back onto his feet. Now on both his feet, he stepped to the right, followed by stepping to his left, then spinning around and kicked the air in another crescent motion. He brought it in, then outstretched both his arms and spun around, clawing the air again before coming to a stop.

He then stood upright before crouching slightly, his arms out by his sides like an animal ready to strike. Then, he clawed the air with a flurry of slashes, his arms moving so quickly that Korra found it hard to keep track of his arms.

"… What the…" Korra said, not having imagined that Kuro could move his arms like that. She knew he was fast, but...

He was about to continue when he heard Korra's voice and stopped. He turned around and his eyes caught sight of Korra observing him. He looked over to her and grinned.

'Morning.' He said, wiping his forehead, acting like nothing had happened.

Korra walked over to him and grinned as well. 'Morning, hotshot. Trying to show me up?'

Kuro shook his head. 'No… I'm just trying out some moves I thought of while I was having dinner.' He explained. 'I wanted to try something focused on agility and speed… but…'

Korra looked at him in confusion. 'But what? Is there something else?'

'… Kind of…' Kuro answered. He then sighed before saying 'Never mind, not important. Where did you go after? We missed you at dinner.'

'How about I tell you after I get changed?' Korra suggested. 'Be right back.'

At that, Korra went back inside. Kuro, in the meantime, decided to get back to his practice. He spotted a dead tree, seeing the crumbling bark and shriveled leaves. Checking to see that no one was around, Kuro readied his battle stance, his iris' glowing. With one swift movement, he spun around struck the air with his foot. As this happened, a crescent wave of black and navy energy fired from his foot and zoomed towards the tree, slicing clean and easily through.

As the top half of the tree fell, Kuro steadied himself, the glowing in his eyes fading.

'… I think I'm getting the hang of this.' He said happily.

….

'**Have you anything to report?**'

Amon was in the meeting room of his hideout, sitting at the top of the room. Sitting near him, Faust had his hands behind his head and looked like he was about to sleep. Despite his fatigued behavior, he answered Amon's question.

'Well, the public speakers handing out the flyers are making good progress. I see a lot of citizens either holding them in their hands or have them stuffed in their jackets. It's pretty surprising… but on the other hand, not too hard to predict.'

'**You sound rather contradicting there, Faust.**'

Faust shrugged his shoulders. 'It's predictable that a bunch of powerless idiots want to do what they can to prove themselves superior.' Faust said with a leer, noticing Amon's eyes narrowing beneath the mask. 'What I'm surprised about is how many people I saw who seem to support you. I saw a couple who was acting friendly with a family of Benders, and they had flyers too.'

Amon huffed before speaking. '**People have become afraid of Benders, given how the triple threats and the other triads have managed to terrorize the city.**' He explained. '**To survive, they would need to play the part of friends and allies, so as to not be crushed, drowned, or burned.**'

'… Guess so.' Faust replied, though sounding uncaring about the topic.

Amon stood up and placed his hands behind his back.

'**I am aware of how disinterested you are in the subject matter. Then again, being a man… more unique than anyone, a non-bender with such abilities… why have you decided to aid us in our crusade?**'

Faust leaned back in his chair and plopped his feet on the desk. He looked up at the ceiling, his leer slowly fading, a look of pondering on his face.

'… My brethren… so far, two of them seem keener on helping those who live in the light. Nothing more than fools.' He answered. 'I figured… helping you, I'd be able to get closer to them… and snuff them out.'

Amon looked at Faust with intrigue. He had heard of the one aiding the Avatar… but…

'Two?'

…

'WHY IS THIS SO HARD!?'

Korra had gotten changed into her training outfit, got herself some breakfast. Tenzin got the spinning gates ready again, with Korra determined to get through. However, as with yesterday, all she seemed to be doing was running straight into the boards.

As Korra charged in again, Kuro tried to give her some help.

'KORRA! MIND THE ONE ON YOUR- ouch!' Kuro said, wincing as Korra was struck face-first by another board. 'That looked like it hurt.'

Korra was flung around by the boards, eventually reaching the center of the ring. At his point, Korra's anger was reaching boiling point. All this, just to get beaten up by these boards? Before she could think anymore on it, another board struck her, causing her to fly out of the spinning gates.

As she tumbled to a stop, Kuro appeared and helped her onto her feet.

'You okay, Korra?' he asked.

'…' The Avatar looked at Kuro with a disgruntled expression, clearly not happy.

'… Uh… still waiting on an answer.' Kuro said, not understanding the expression on her face.

It proved his undoing, as Korra gave him a sharp punch to the stomach, making him grunt in pain and lean forward, clutching his stomach.

'… So… not good… then…' he managed to say before going on his knees, trying his best to stop the contents of his stomach from coming up. He had enough of that yesterday.

Tenzin sighed. At this point, he was used to seeing Korra not doing well at this, so he wasn't frustrated, but still he would like it if Korra was able to get through this at least. He walked over to Kuro and Korra, offering them both a hand up. The latter accepted, but Kuro still needed time to recover.

'Are you okay, Kuro?' Tenzin asked, looking concerned for the boy, knowing full well how strong Korra's punches were.

'… Phew… okay, I'm good now.' Kuro said, recovered and getting onto his feet. He rolled his shoulders back and looked at Korra. 'Still charging in, I see.'

'Hey, I'm trying to move around like you and Tenzin keep telling me. It's just… not working for some reason.' She answered.

Tenzin looked back at the gates before saying his piece. 'From the looks of things, Korra, you _are _trying to weave your way through this time. But, you're neglecting the idea of moving like the wind.'

Kuro nodded in agreement. 'Yeah, at least you can avoid two boards before getting knocked out.' He said. 'Though, if I'm to be honest, I thought you were going to burn the whole thing down.'

'I nearly did… but, I had you to punch instead.' She answered, grinning at the boy.

'… Great.' Kuro said with a slightly sour look on his face. 'Now I'm a punching bag, am I?'

The piece of Darkness looked at he spinning gates, feeling an urge to try it again. Jinora, noticing this, gathered some air and blew wind at the gates, making them spin again. She then motioned towards the gates.

'There you go, Kuro.' Jinora said. 'Do your best.'

Korra grinned at this. She looked over towards Kuro. 'Good luck, dude. You're gonna need it.'

Kuro jogged over to the spinning gates. Not stopping or slowing his momentum, he started going through the gates. Putting his hands in his pockets, he spun around without using darkness, making sure that the gates didn't hit him. This time, he made sure to focus on keeping his feet correctly positioned as he moved, as he didn't want to fall over again.

This time, after a few seconds, Kuro made it to the other side, slightly dizzy but otherwise successful. Tenzin looked slightly surprised by this, while Korra was gobsmacked by the sight.

'That was well done, Kuro.' Tenzin said. 'Perhaps you know more than I thought.'

'… HOW!?' Korra yelled, amazed that he was able to do it easily.

Kuro shrugged his shoulders. 'Had some practice with it myself to see if I could find something to help you out. It helped me show that I'm more agile than I look.'

'And that you have a weak stomach.' Ikki added. 'Seriously, You were like a volcano spewing green lava.'

'… Thanks, Ikki.' Kuro said, the memory causing his stomach to gurgle at the unpleasant thought.

Korra slumped forward. Seeing how well caused her to feel worse about herself. She was more frustrated at how she was one other the few people here who couldn't get past this. She folded her arms and began to look worried.

Seeing this, Kuro walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

'Hey, don't worry. You're gonna get the hang of it.' He said. 'Besides, the spinning gates is just one way to train, right? There should be another method to get you into the swing of things."

Kuro removed his hand and placed his hand on his chin, adopting a thinking pose.

'Let's see…' Kuro said as he pondered on other ideas. He looked towards the Airbending master. 'Any ideas, Tenzin?'

Tenzin took a moment to ponder on the idea as well. Usually, the spinning gates were the way to go with Airbending trainees, but Korra was a special case. They needed something that would help Korra out.

'We need something that can knock some sense into her!' Meelo shouted.

'Meelo!' Jinora said, not looking happy. 'Nobody's knocking anyone!'

'… Actually…' Kuro looked towards Meelo with a slight grin. 'You might be onto something kid.'

'I am?' Meelo asked.

'He is?' Ikki, Jinora and Tenzin asked.

Kuro lowered his hand looked towards Korra. 'You, our dear hot-head, seem more interested in charging into a combat-like situation.'

Hearing that made Korra pout in annoyance. Kuro shook his head.

'Hey, it's not a bad thing… well, for now anyway.' He said. 'I'm just saying we can use that to get the ball rolling.'

Ikki picked up on what Kuro was getting at. 'You're get Korra to fight one of us?' she asked.

'No.'

'…'

The Airbenders were now VERY confused.

Jinora decided to voice her thoughts. 'Uh, Kuro? If your theory is about using combat to help Korra, why shouldn't we fight her? _We're _the Airbenders, after all.'

Kuro looked over towards Tenzin. 'Tenzin, you and I are going to fight first.'

'WHAT!?' Tenzin asked.

Kuro couldn't help but grin at the Airbending master's reaction. Deciding to relieve them of their confusion, he explained his theory.

'If we had a bender versus bender battle, Korra would only be able to focus on her other elements, on instinct, i can tell. But, if we had a pure-melee match, we'd have a better chance of showing her what needs to be done.'

Listening to this, Tenzin looked at Kuro with amazement. It sounded like something that could be really beneficial for Korra… but, given that it was so different to how he was trained, he wasn't so sure about it either.

'But, what does you fighting dad have to do with it? Jinora asked.

Kuro shrugged his shoulders. 'Well, no offense, but I think I'm better at the melee.' He answered. 'Plus, not only would Korra benefit from seeing how an Airbender moves in fights, but I can pick up on it too. If I fight her with a style like Airbending, she can learn from it as she learns how to defend it.'

'…' Tenzin now looked more concerned. It sounded a bit far-fetched, silly even, and him fighting Kuro could lead to the boy getting hurt.

But…

'Well, I suppose there's no harm in trying, at least.' He said.

'YAAAAAYYYY!' Ikki and Meelo yelled.

Korra, who stayed silent through the exchange, looked at Kuro with a gleaming smile. As crazy as an idea as it was, it sounded perfect for her.

Kuro looked back towards Korra. 'Plus, who knows? You might be able to pick up on some of Tenzin's teachings through this medium better.'

'We'll see.' Tenzin said. 'Very well, Kuro. When would you like to try this?'

'First thing at tomorrow's practice.' Kuro said. 'For now, I think Korra needs a break… And I think I smell lunch as well.' He said, finishing the sentence with a smile.

'Hello.' Said the same Acolyte from yesterday. 'Lunch is ready. Are you feeling better, Master Kuro?'

'Oooooh, yes.' Kuro said as he slapped his hands together and rubbed them against each other briskly. 'I can tell there are a few of those sandwiches with my name on it!'

"Well, you couldn't eat yesterday, so it makes sense there were some left over for you.' Korra said.

'… Oh dang!' kuro said as the memory came back with a vengeance, forcing Kuro to find another place to wretch.

'… He really does have a weak stomach, doesn't he?' the Acolyte said.

….

After lunch, Korra and Kuro spent the rest of the day hanging out. During that time, Korra managed to tell the boy what she had been up to last night.

Hearing this, Kuro gave the Avatar a cheeky grin. 'Wow, you really don't like listening to your superiors, do you?'

'Hey, if Tenzin hasn't realized by now that I'm not gonna let myself be a prisoner, that's his loss.'

'Perhaps.' Kuro said. He was resting against one of the trees while Korra was resting against Naga. The Avatar was scratching behind her animal guide's ear, which Naga seemed to enjoy. 'So, what were the members of the Fire Ferrets like?'

Korra continued to pamper Naga as she spoke. 'Well, I didn't get to talk to the Waterbender of the team, though I guess he isn't much of a team player… and didn't seem to be in good shape for the game. Mako's… uh… okay, I guess. He's got some kinda "I'm cooler than everyone else" thing going on.' She then tilted her head to one side. '… Kinda hot, though.'

'Hot?' Kuro asked, a bit confused from her words.

Unaware of his misunderstanding, Korra blushed when she realized he heard her. 'Oh, uh-um, and Bolin's cool! Funny guy, you know… right?'

'…' at this, both Naga AND Kuro tilted their heads at Kuro. However, Kuro simply shrugged his shoulders and laid down on the ground. 'Well, they sound interesting. Wouldn't mind meeting them.'

'Okay then.' She said, getting onto her feet and walking over to Kuro, grabbing him by his shirt and yanking him up off the ground.

'Whoa! W-Wait? We're going NOW!?'

'Yep.' Korra answered. 'No time like the present. Plus, their match is gonna be on soon, and I'm NOT gonna miss it now.' She said as she ran off, dragging Kuro with her.

'Um, Korra, are you sure-Oh, OH NO NOT THE WATER!'

(10 minutes later)

'You should've told me you couldn't swim.'

Korra and Kuro were in the Pro-bending arena, making their way to the locker room that Bolin brought her to. She was able to get them both to the Island easily, but was unaware of Kuro being unable to swim. This left Kuro in a petrified state as they made their way over, and wouldn't stop hugging and kissing the floor for five minutes when they finally made it inside.

'… Guess I never thought we were going… that way.' Kuro said and he squeezed the water out of his jacket.

Korra grinned at the boy. She offered to drain the water out of his clothes, but he was still a bit too annoyed at her.

Eventually, they made it to the locker room, where they found Mako and Bolin… neither looked very happy.

'Hey guys… uh… is everything okay?'

Bolin shook his head. 'No, we're not okay.' He looked up to Korra, only catch the still-soaked Kuro. 'Uh, Korra? Who's this?'

'I'm Kuro.' Kuro said, looking up briefly before looking out at the arena. He had a look of awe on his faced when he saw the arena, the people seated in the stalls and everything else. He then brought his attention back to Bolin. 'Bolin, right?'

'Yeah, and there's Mako.' He said, pointing towards his brother. 'Korra told us a bit about you. It's nice to see you in person.'

'Likewise.' Kuro said. 'So, what's got you down?'

'Our Waterbender hasn't turned up.' Bolin answered, his expression falling further. 'And he doesn't look like he's gonna turn up in time for the match. If he doesn't-'

The door to the locker room opened, showing one of the referees.

'Hey, you got two minutes to decide if you're playing. If not, you're out!' he said before slamming the door shut.

'… Oooookay.' Kuro said. 'That answers that.'

'Looks like it's over.' Mako said, looking rather defeated himself.

Korra couldn't belief this. She saw them play, these guys deserved to win the tournament… there had to be something she could… wait…

'I'll play for you guys.' Korra answered.

'What?' Mako asked.

'REALLY?' Bolin cried happily.

'Eh?' Kuro added, looking rather worried.

Bolin walked up to Korra. 'Korra, that would be GREAT! … But, is that allowed, with you being the Avatar, and all?'

'It should be alright if I only use Waterbending, right?' she pointed out.

'I guess so.' Bolin said.

'Hey, hold on a moment.' Mako said 'I don't think-'

The referee came back in. 'Time's up. In or out?'

'We're in!' Korra yelled.

'We are?' Mako asked.

'Great!' Bolin said. 'C'mon, let's get your uniform!'

He and Korra made their way to the locker, looking for a uniform that would fit Korra. As they did that, Kuro had a nervous smile on his face.

'If Tenzin finds out about this he'll be really mad.' He said.

'This isn't going to end well.' Mako said.

…..

'The city looks rather peaceful, tonight.'

The woman who was observing Korra, Bolin and Mako back at the Pro-bending arena was seated on top of the Council building. She was amazed at how quiet it was right now. It seemed that Pro-bending was so popular that activity in the city, whether legal or illegal, seemed to come to a stand-still.

It was interesting to see how so many people could unite over a simple game. It showed that there could be possible peace between them all.

'… A shame that the rest of them can't be like that.'

She stood up, brushing some dust off her clothes. As she was about to move, her eyes caught sight of something at the side. She grinned as she realised who it was.

'What brings you here, Faust?'

The man in tattered robes could then be seen walking up to her.

'Aw, can't one be allowed to visit their siblings?' he asked. 'After all, it's been some time since we last spoke to each other.'

'You mean when you tried to steal my strength?' she asked. She turned to him, this time her face souring into a dark glare.

'Detail, details.' He said, waving in a dismissive manner. 'Although, now that you're here, there is… one matter… Piper.'

The woman kept her glare, her anger not quelling for anything att hat moment. However, she was well aware of what the life-drainer was referring to.

'Another Darkness. Here in the city.' Piper answered.

'Exactly. And from what I've seen, a rising star.' Faust added.

Hearing this, Piper dashed towards Faust, latching her hand around his throat. Taken by surprise, Faust wasn't able to resist as she lifted him into the air and slammed him into the ground.

'What did you do to him?' she asked.

Despite the pain he was in, Faust was able to laugh at her reaction. He found her anger over any potential harm done to their siblings more than amusing.

'Fear not. I merely wished to see how strong he was. He's ignorant to what he can truly do, but what he's capable of so far is astounding. Like a wild animal… like a "Hunter"…' Faust looked at Piper directly into the eyes, widening to the point he seemed more sadistic.

'Sorry, sis.'

Faust grabbed the arm Piper held him down with, suddenly draining Piper's energy from it. Piper grunted in pain before punching Faust in the face, forcing Faust to release his grip and allow her to escape. She backed away, seeing the skin on her arms having greyed, but slowly returned to normal.

She looked up again, only to see that Faust was gone. She looked around, hoping to see where he had gone, but came up short.

'Damn it.' She cursed, angry at having lost her opportunity to stop him. She placed at hand on her forehead for a moment before letting it drop.

'I hope our sibling can handle himself against him.

….

'This is DISASTROUS!'

Kuro thought learning the rules to the match would be a good thing, having tried to use it to try and train Korra before. However, learning as much as he did is now proving less than helpful.

Kuro was nearly pulling his hair out as he saw the match Korra was taking part in. If he had to be honest, it was difficult to watch. Korra was making more mistakes than he could count, getting penalised constantly, seeming to drive Mako up the wall as well.

Kuro slumped forward and face palmed. 'I hope she doesn't do anything else.' He said, hoping she made enough mistakes to know what NOT to do right now.

The Firebender and the Earthbender on the other team shot their respective elements at the Avatar. As Korra saw the attacks coming her way, on instinct, she took control of the earth disks and used them to block the fire.

Seeing this, the opposition, the referees and the audience came to a stop, all shocked by what they saw.

'**Wait a minute? Did that waterbender just EARTHBEND!?**' the announcer asked out loud.

'Foul!' the referee yelled.

Korra looked towards the crowd, giving them a goofy smile in response to their shock, while Mako and Bolin both looked disappointed.

'**Hold on, folks, we're just waiting for the referee's official call, but… I think this replacement player could be… no way! She's the AVATAR folks! Playing in a Pro-Bending match! Can you believe it!?**'

'…' Kuro slammed his forehead against the railing. This was now going to be a tricky call. Korra will be lucky if they allow her to stay in the game, otherwise this could be it for the fire ferrets. On top of that, a certain Airbending master was bound to find out about it… Kuro could just imagine his face slowly turning red with anger. Ironic for one who is supposed to be teaching Korra calmness and patience, but nevertheless that was the reality faced against them.

The referee stepped into the ring, having made his decision.

'The Avatar will be permitted to continue, so long as she solely bends water.' He stated, much to the other team's annoyance, and Kuro's relief.

Kuro looked on and slammed his fist into the railing, unaware of causing a severe bend as a result. 'Don't mess up this time, Korra!' he yelled.

The match continued on, and the other team were the stuffing out of her. Eventually, she was knocked off the platform and sent falling into the water.

Deciding to go check on her, Kuro ran down to the elevator area. He managed to make it in time to see Korra getting out… and to see that she had another guest to see her.

'Oh… hey, Tenzin.' Korra said. 'I thought you didn't like coming to these matches…'

Kuro wanted to go in there and make sure that there wouldn't be anymore conflict between them. But, if he kept trying to interfere… would they really be able to learn anything? Instead, he opted to stay hidden from them, and listen to what they had to say.

Tenzin glared at the two, primarily at Korra. 'Once again you have disobeyed my orders. You were to STAY on the Island.' He exclaimed. 'Let's go.'

'No. I'm kinda in the middle of something.' Korra said.

Tenzin looked back at her, his glare intensifying.

'I have tried my best to get through to you by being calm and patient, but now I see that the only thing you respond to is force! Now I'm ordering you-'

'NO!' Korra yelled. 'I NEED to be here. I need to learn modern styles of fighting!'

'Being the Avatar is not all about fighting! Now we are going back." Tenzin said.

'And do what? Mediate on how bad I am at Airbending?' Korra asked. 'You know, I'm beginning to think that there's a reason why I haven't been able to get it. Maybe it's because I'm not MEANT to learn Airbending!'

IF Tenzin could look any angrier at this point, he would have literal steam coming out of his ears. 'How DARE you! The Avatar is meant to learn all four elements!' he roared.

Korra turned away, fed up with this argument. 'Whatever. I've got a match to get back to.' She said, stepping onto the elevator, making her way back up.

Tenzin glared at Kuro fully this time. 'I swear, that girl will be-' Tenzin stopped suddenly, suddenly becoming aware of another presence. He looked behind him, a glare appearing on his face. '… Kuro?'

The mentioned person walked into view. He gave a sigh before looking up at where Korra would be. 'Guess you two are still butting heads, huh?'

'As much as I would like to say no…' Tenzin inched the bridge of his nose. 'I just can't understand why she won't listen.'

Kuro folded his arms and tilted his head to one side. It's a question that, while Tenzin is constantly asking out of annoyance, is something that's really worth thinking about in depth. Kuro pondered on it why… before an idea popped to mind.

'Maybe… Korra's more like the wind than you give her credit for.'

Hearing this, Tenzin looked at Kuro in pure bewilderment. '…. I beg your pardon?'

'You've been trying to teach her like she's a calm breeze, gently guiding her to her destination. But… she's more like an angry storm, When push comes to shove, she blows away any and all obstacles ' he looked up at where Korra would be. 'And, maybe like the winds, you need to adapt to Korra. She's impatient and impulsive, I know. But that's why you need a different approach for her. Right? The same teaching style you use and was used for you won't work for everyone.'

Kuro heard the bell ring, which prompted a cheer from the crowd as the final round had begun. He looked at Tenzin and shrugged his shoulders. 'Well… that's my take. See you later.' He said before rushing back to the changing room.

As the Fire ferrets continued, their opponents fired a barrage of attacks. Mako and Bolin were pushed to the side, trying their best to stand strong against them. By the looks of things, however, it was easier said than done.

Kuro made it back in time to see Korra getting pushed back to the end of the arena.

'**Well, folks, this looks the Avatar's Pro-Bending debut is coming to an end. She is being pushed back, and the water is calling her name.**'

Kuro gritted his teeth, the other people in the locker room backing away when they saw him crushing the railing with his hands.

'C'mon… Don't give up!'

Korra, barely keeping her balance, looked at the oncoming attacks. As they came, something in her brain snapped. Moving around, she began weaving through the volley of earth, water and fire.

'**Hold the PHONE! What is happening folks? She's dodging all the attacks, it's like she's an entirely new player! The Platypus-bears seem to only be hitting air!'**

Kuro's eyes widened as he saw the sudden change in Korra. She was moving like He saw Jinora move at the spinning gates. This only prompted the other team to try and strike harder, but this made them lose their remaining energy too quickly.

'**It looks like the Platypus-Bears look to be running out of steam, but the Fire Ferrets are still hot and Juicy!**'

Mako and Bolin were soon able to join the fight, working with the now agile Korra to take down the other team. With a flurry of their own attacks, the Fire Ferrets were able to knock the players off the arena, winning the game.

'**WIN BY KNOCKOUT!**'

'YES!' Kuro yelled, jumping into the air. He clapped his hands together once before looking towards the others in the locker room. Still keeping their distance, they all nodded in agreement.

'**The Fire Ferrets come from way behind and steal the win!**' the announcer said, aiding to the audiences thrill. '**What a match! The rookies, Avatar in tow, have nabbed a place in the championship tournament! I cannot believe it!**'

On the arena, Bolin was posing as if to take in the cheers of the crowd. Korra came up behind him and the two high-fived.

'Korra. What can I say.' Mako said as he walked up to them. 'You really came alive in that last round. The way you moved was incredible.'

'Thanks, but I can't take all the credit.' Korra said honestly. 'Some friends taught me those moves.'

…..

Later that evening, Korra and Kuro returned to the Island. They found Tenzin meditating in front of the spinning gates. Korra looked a little hesitant to approach him, but Kuro nudged her on.

'Go on.' He said.

Still uncertain, Korra moved forward, rubbing her arm as she did so.

'… T-Tenzin?'

Tenzin turned to see Korra, a smile forming on his face. 'Korra, you're back.' he said, getting onto his feet, showing no trace of the anger he had before.

'Yeah… hey, listen. I want to apologise for the way I acted. I was frustrated and I took it out on you.'

'I believe I owe you an apology as well.' Tenzin stated. 'I tried to teach you about patience, and in doing I lost mine.'

Korra smiled. 'No hard feelings?'

'None at all.' Tenzin said. 'You did well in that match, by the way. You moved JUST like an Airbender.'

Kuro widened his eyes at that. 'Hang on. You stayed and watched?'

Tenzin nodded. 'I did. Pro-Bending turned out to be the best teaching tool for you.' He said.

Kuro approached the two of them, placing a hand each on their shoulders. 'Like I said, combat scenarios… that reminds me, Tenzin-'

'Don't worry. I remember.' Tenzin said.

'Remember what?' Korra asked.

In silence, Tenzin and Kuro looked at each other in silence. They soon laughed, amazed that Korra had forgotten about the idea Kuro came up with already.

"WHAT?' Korra asked, now getting annoyed.

'You'll see tomorrow.' Tenzin said. 'At practice.'

'Okay then. See you there.' She said as she began to walk away. 'Oh, by the way, I kinda permanently joined the Fire Ferrets and we're playing in the championship tournament and we're laying in a couple of weeks.'

As she left, Tenzin slumped forward, looking exasperated. Kuro simly patted him on the head and tried to comfort him.

'There, there. It's okay.' He said to him.

'…' Tenzin said nothing, instead walking away in silence, looking more irritated at Kuro's attempt to cheer him up.

'Tenzin? Are you okay? Hello?' Kuro called out. After Tenzin was gone, Kuro folded his arms and looked rather baffled. 'That's weird. It cheered Naga up when I tried it on her.'

…

The next morning, Korra was fully dressed walking out into the training area to see the kids seated in a row, all looking rather excited.

'You guys look awfully chipper this morning.' She noted.

Jinora looked up at Korra. 'Of course. Don't you remember why?'

'Huh?' Korra asked, looking rather confused. She was about to ask what Jinora meant, when she saw Tenzin and Kuro appearing from either side of the spectators. Both had serious expressions on their faces, with Kuro taking his jacket off and resting on the ground, taking a fighting stance.

It was then that Korra remembered. '… Wait… their actually going ahead with the duel?'

'Yep.' Ikki said. 'After seeing how you did in Por-Bending, Daddy thought the idea would actually work.'

Korra looked back at the two. Air began to circle around Tenzin, looking like he wasn't going to hld back.

'If this is going to work, I'll need to go all out, won't I.' Tenzin asked.

'Wouldn't hurt.' Kuro answered, his fingers formed like claws instead of fists. 'You ready?'

For the first time since Korra came here, she saw a look that she never thought she'd see on Tenzin's face. The kind of expression that told her he was looking forward to the fight.

'Whenever you are.' He answered.

Korra looked back and forth between the two. She knew that this was meant for the training idea Kuro had for her, but both looked to be taking this really seriously. Tenzin was an Airbeding master, and would take on anyone one to one. But, having saw how Kuro fought yesterday, vicious and unyielding, added with how agile he was, who knows who could win. The only sure thing…

It's going to be major fun.

'GO!' Kuro roared.

**Well, I'm going to leave it there for the time being. The duel between Kuro and Tenzin will take place in the next chapter. Let me tell you, it feels great to get another chapter published. Especially since I've been making slow progress with my other stories. At least it's some progress, i guess, but i'd like to be able to work on them more.**

**Anyway, I've been getting some suggestions through PM, and through the reviews (Than you Guest), about new tricks for Kuro. And for that, thanks very much for that, it feels good that there are a fair number of ya's that like the story, so thank you.**

**Right, nothing else from me for the time being. Other than I'll try to work on this story as well as the others. Be sure to give them a read if you haven't, and I hope that you all have a grand day. See you later. **


	4. Chapter 4

"GO!"

Much to the Darkness' surprise, Tenzin was the first to make his move, thrusting his arms out and firing two air blasts directly at Kuro. As both were aimed at him, Kuro rolled the side, covering enough distance to avoid the attack. The living darkness charged at Tenzin, his fingers curled like claws as he swiped horizontally at Tenzin, who dodged underneath, making Kuro swipe at him with his other hand, only for Tenzin to dodged that as well. Kuro shot his foot at Tenzin's head, the latter motioning his hands to the side, making the air blow Kuro's foot away from his head. Taking the opportunity, Tenzin slashed his hands at Kuro, striking him with an Air Slice that sent the boy hurtling back.

"Grgh!" Kuro grunted, surprised by the force of the impact. He was sent tumbling to the ground, but recovered and crouched down into his animalistic stance.

"… Not enough…" Kuro said, baring his teeth.

The boy bent his legs more before pouncing into the air, somersaulting in the air before he began to bring an axe-kick down on the Airbending master.

Tenzin quickly moved the to the side before Kuro came crashing down, his foot shattering the ground beneath it. Kuro looked back at Tenzin, seeing strong gales form around the Airbender.

"That was quite a kick." Tenzin commented. "I see you're not holding back either."

Kuro pulled his foot out of the ground, bringing out a large amount of gravel from the ground. "Don't plan to." Kuro simply said.

The Darkness charged at Tenzin again, this time sending a wild haymaker at Tenzin. Tenzin easily dodged it and slammed his palm into Kuro's chin, forcing his head back.

"Ack!" Kuro crocked. Given the amount of pain his felt there, he reckoned a normal person would've suffered a serious injury from that…

Kuro's eyes suddenly widened when he suddenly thought Tenzin knew how strong he was… but if that was the case-

"You should be more careful."

Tenzin slid his foot forward and held his arm over Kuro's chest, pushing him back as he used his forward foot to trip Kuro backwards. Tenzin the ducked, spun around, took in a deep breath of air before turning back to the Airborne Kuro, blowing out a powerful gust of air that sent Kuro flying back.

Kuro couldn't help but grin as he soared through the air.

'_If he knows how strong I am… then he'll be more willing to go all out._'

As all this was going on, Korra and the kids were all focused on the fight. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo were all thrilled to see their father doing so well. Korra, on the other hand, was too shocked to root for anybody at the moment. She remembered when he was trying to help train her, he was fast, dextrous and accurate. This time, he was aggressive, angry and looked like he was purposefully trying to hurt Tenzin.

"Kuro… what is wrong with you?" Korra asked out loud, surprised that the calm boy would all of a sudden lash out like this.

"He's trying to make Dad fight harder."

Korra looked towards Jinora, who wore a calm, though slightly giddy expression on her face. Ikki, curious by what her sister meant, tilted her head to the side.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ikki asked her.

Jinora looked back towards the match, just in time to see Kuro send a flurry of kicks in Tenzin's direction, the Airbending master managing to avoid them, though just barely.

"The aim of the match was for Kuro to learn as much as he can about Aibending directly, so he can help train you Korra. To do that, he needs to see how far Airbending can go. Its limits, and its true capabilities." Jinora explained. "… Granted, I wouldn't say it's my _favorite _method, but-"

Jinora was interrupted when she saw one of Kuro's attacks finally land a it. His foot was after landing on Tenzin's right hip, the force causing him to grunt in pain. Much to Kuro's surprise though, Tenzin still smiled in Kuro's direction, showing no sign of giving up yet.

"ALRIGHT DAD!" Meelo yelled, amazed by his father's durability. "BEAT HIM UP! SHOW HIM WHOSE BOSS!"

Tenzin, while happy that his son was supporting him, decided best not to follow that advice, so as not to further promote the idea of violence. However, he did think that it was time to end the match.

"You wish to see more of Airbending… allow me to show you!"

With that, Tenzin suddenly shot up into the air, keeping his grip on Kuro as he did so, letting the boy dangle as a tornado formed around Tenzin's waist, letting him haver high into the sky. The Air spout. Tenzin then threw Kuro away, before motioning his hands and sent a blast of air towards Kuro that sent the flying downwards. As Kuro was about to hit the ground, though, a blade-like grin forming on his face.

"… I see… how versatile…"

Kuro spun backwards and landed on his feet, the force of the landing creating a large crater on the ground. Nevertheless, Kuro was well able to stay standing, looking up at Tenzin.

"I think I got what I need." Kuro said, still grinning. "Ready to end this!?"

"…"

Tenzin didn't answer. Instead, he gathered at much air into his hands as he could muster, showing Kuro that he was ready for the final push.

"I'm ready when you are." Tenzin answered, a smile unknowingly forming on his face.

Kuro looked up at his opponent, the seriousness in his eyes fading slightly when he saw the man smile. Tenzin, the man who he believed to be a stubborn, peace-keeping individual seemed to be having fun in this duel. It was something that Kuro considered quite the accomplishment, never imagining this man ever enjoying something like this. He guessed it proved that Tenzin had a fun side after all.

"Alright, old man. Time to knock the wind out of YOU!"

Kuro pushed against the ground with as much force as he could muster, causing it to shatter from the level of said force, leaping towards Tenzin with a victorious look on his face. Tenzin, on the other hand, unleashed the wind that he had gathered, using it to force Kuro to back down. As the attack pushed against Kuro, the boy was still able to stay suspended in the air. His grin turned into a glare as he was pushing himself to fight against the attack. The power Tenzin unleashed was definitely greater than he anticipated.

Unfortunately, the fight didn't go as Kuro thought it would from there.

As Kuro continued to fight against the wind. However, the more he pushed himself, the more his muscles began to strain. Kuro was shocked, not having felt this strain, nor having been pushed this much before. It was a great shock, baffling him for a brief, but ultimately deciding second. The lack of concentration allowed Tenzin to properly blast him back, sending Kuro flying back to the ground, shattering the stone surface even further.

"AAAAGH!" Kuro yelled as he crashed into the ground, a large dust cloud forming tin the process, obscuring the sight of him.

"KURO!" Korra yelled, jumping from where she sat, racing to check on him.

Tenzin started to lowered himself to the ground, using the air to blow away the dust cloud. When it was gone, Kuro was seen to be resting in another crater, his face scrunched up in pain, not seeming to move a muscle.

Korra ran to him and knelt by his side. She slowly lifted his upper body up, lightly slapping the side of his face. "Kuro? Are you okay? Say something!" Korra exclaimed, clearly worried.

"… Ugh… that last move hurt."

Korra sighed in relief to see that he was alive at least. She was going to help him up, when he suddenly leaned forward and pushed himself off the ground. He brushed the excess dust and gravel off his clothes, seeming not to bothered by the fact that he was nearly crushed by such an attack.

"… Uh… okay, I guess you're alright." Korra said, amazed at how quickly he was able to bounce back.

"… Wow. Never felt pain like that before." Kuro asked out loud, stunned by what happened.

"… Kuro?"

Kuro was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Tenzin calling. He looked up, seeing the Airbender lowering himself to the ground and walking over to him. As he did, the children all rushed up to him all of them looking worried as well.

"Kuro, I am so sorry. I… I didn't know what came over me." Tenzin said, genuinely shook by his actions. "I let myself-"

"Why are you sorry?"

Tenzin looked at Kuro with surprised, having expected the boy to be angry at what happened. Instead, he was seeing the boy sending him a simple smile, showing now malice, fear, or hatred of any kind. Instead he looked… happy?

"I told you to go all out. And, in doing so, I've got a better idea about how Airbending works… and besides…" Kuro placed his hand on his chin, sending Tenzin a knowing look. "You knew I'd be able to handle it, didn't you?"

"… I had a suspicion." Tenzin admitted. "Though I still feel ashamed for using that as an excuse. If there is anything that I can do to make up for what happened, just… Kuro? Are you alright?"

As Tenzin had continued to talk, Kuro suddenly found himself losing focus. Everything became blurry and he was beginning to stagger. He just barely heard what Tenzin asked him.

"Uh… I… think I need to…" was all Kuro was able to say before he suddenly collapsed, falling flat on his front.

"Oh no!" Jinora said, rushing to the fallen boy's side, followed by Ikki and Meelo.

"Hey! Why did you fall!? Get up, this isn't funny, y'know!" Ikki exclaimed.

"Kuro? Can you hear us?" Meelo asked, looking just as concerned.

However, their words just seemed to fall on deaf ears. He had fallen unconscious, and he wasn't responding to any of the kids. Tenzin knelt down and placed two fingers against Kuro's neck. He sighed in relief when he felt a pulse. He looked over to Korra.

"Bring him to the infirmary, I'll gather the acolytes." Tenzin said.

Korra nodded, picking up Kuro and hoisting him up onto her shoulders. She ran as fast as she could to the Infirmary, weaving around anything in her path.

"Don't worry." Korra said to the unconscious Kuro. "We'll fix you right up. You're going to be okay."

Despite saying this, part of her wasn't sure. In the short time she knew him, he seemed like a walking, talking battle machine, able to handle any situation. Him suddenly collapsing was something that worried her greatly. She wanted to believe that he would be alright…

But he wasn't sure. And that scared her to the core.

….

"Heads up!"

Back in the Probending arena, Mako and Bolin were in the training room, both of them dressed in brown training gear, the only distinction being that Mako wore a red belt around his waist, while Bolin wore a green belt.

The two of them were throwing a weighted ball at each other as hard as they could, helping to improve how well they could take a hit. Their protective gear was good, but the strength of some enemy Benders tend to be a bit more powerful, so it was good to be ready.

Mako easily caught the ball, before throwing it back at Bolin. The latter paused for a moment, looking rather disappointed.

"Wonder where Korra is?" he asked.

"Been wondering that myself." Mako added. "She said that she was going to be here at the start of the session."

"Maybe something came up and it's keeping her occupied." Bolin suggested, wanting to think of a way to defend Korra, especially since Mako seemed to have become irritated.

"Hope so. We've already come this far, and I'm not gonna let us lose it all just because she had something else going-"

"S-Sorry I'm late, guys."

Mako and Bolin looked towards the entrance of the training room, seeing Korra jogging in. she rushed to the chest where the training gear was held, grabbing her set.

"I'l be ready in a bit. I-"

"There's no point." Mako stated. "We're nearly out of time, and Bolin and I already went through all the exercises."

Korra immediately stopped doing what she was doing when she heard that. She gripped the training gear with enough force that the gear might have broken, provided that Korra hadn't released her grip, gently placing the gear back in the box.

"… Sorry I let you guys down." She said.

Mako and Bolin were surprised by this. Not by what Korra said, but rather how she said it. It didn't take a genius to tell that she was feeling rather down. Mako narrowed his eyes, knowing this wasn't just from being late.

"… Korra. What's going on?" Mako asked her.

Korra seemed reluctant to answer, but did her best to try all the same. "… Kuro…he collapsed this morning, after sparring with Tenzin." She said. "… He hasn't woken up."

Mako widened his eyes in response, while Bolin gasped from worry.

"What!?" Bolin cried, running up to Korra. "What happened!? Did Kuro get hurt during the duel? Did he eat something bad?" he asked, concerned for the amethyst-eyed teen.

"I don't know… he seemed fine one second… then…" Korra placed her hand on her forehead. "It just doesn't make sense."

Seeing Korra like this made Mako feel a bit guilty. He was frustrated that she hadn't turned up, planning to scold her for it and remind her how serious the situation was for him and Bolin. However, seeing how worried she was, and with Kuro in trouble, he felt rather angry with himself for jumping to conclusions. After letting out a sigh, he walked over to her looked at her directly in the eyes.

"Don't worry. Kuro will be fine." He said. "I know I haven't known him for long, but he seems tough. He'll pull through."

"…" Korra still looked worried while Mako made his statement. But after, she smiled in gratitude at him. "Thanks."

Bolin walked over to her as well, albeit with an inquisitive look on his face.

"Now, I know Kuro isn't well at the moment and I know it's rude to talk about him behind his back, but can I ask one question?" Bolin asked.

Korra shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think he'd mind. What is it?"

"What's up with his clothes?" Bolin asked, surprising Korra a bit. "I mean, don't get me wrong, he looks pretty cool, but it's weird. I've never seen anyone where garb like that. Even here, I don't think I've ever seen anyone dressed like that."

"I… um…" Korra placed a hand on her chin as she genuinely thought about that question. "… I don't know, actually. But Kuro wouldn't be able to help you with that anyway, I think."

"Why not?" Bolin asked.

Before Korra could answer, she heard footsteps coming in from the entrance. Entering the training room was a man, Butakha, with a black hat and a long coat over a white shirt under a green waist coat, black pants and dress shoes. he looked over at the team with a smile.

"There are my hard-working street urchins." He said. He walked right over to them, taking off his hat in respect when he saw Korra. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Avatar."

"… Nice to meet you too." She said, her spirits not fully lifted yet.

"The name's Butakha. I run the whole show in this arena." He said. He delved into his pockets and gave Mako a stack of Yuan notes. "Here are your winnings from the last match."

Mako looked rather happy to receive payment. He was about to go, when Butakha made him stop for a moment.

"I need to make some deductions. First is for the Avatar's training gear, then your lease for equipment and training, your rent, aaaand for that small personal loan for groceries."

"…" Mako looked at his hand, once filled with the winnings, now completely gone. He looked over at Bolin accusingly, apparently only having just found out about that personal loan.

"What? I'm a growing boy." Bolin said.

"Oh, um, there is _one _more thing I need to tell you." Butakha said, this time looking rather concerned. "The Fire Ferrets need to rack up thirty thousand for the championship tournament."

"THIRTY THOUSAND YUANS!?" Bolin yelled, not believing his ears.

"The Fire Ferrets have about a week to come up with the money. If not, then you're out of the tournament." Butakha stated.

With that, the Pro-bending arena owner left the trio, all of them not happy with the news. For them to come up with thirty grand by the end of the week was an impossible task for them. Mako glared at the ground in anger, seeing yet another obstacle that kept them from their chance. Bolin turned towards Korra, a hopeful look on his face.

"I don't suppose you have a secret Avatar safe full of gold, would you?" he asked.

"Nope, I've got nothing." Korra answered, pulling out her pockets for emphasis.

"Um… excuse me."

The trio's attention was soon caught by the sound of a new voice. Standing in the middle of the entrance was someone none of them had seen before.

"… Uh… can we help you?" Korra asked.

The man grinned at the trio before walking towards them. He wore a black suit with red lining sewn across the collar, sleeves as well as basic red trimmings, black dress shoes and a black bowler had, which obscured the top half of his face. When he was close enough, he slowly took his hat off, revealing dark hair styled into a French Crop and green eyes. He gave the trio a friendly smile.

"It's so nice to meet you all. I've been dying to see the three of you face to face." he said with a hint of glee in his voice.

"… Uh… thank you?" Bolin said, not entirely sure how to react.

Mako stepped forward, he already irate mood worsening from this. "Alright, who the heck are you!? Why are you here!?"

"Oh… forgive my rudeness." The man said, placing a hand over his chest and giving the trio a formal bow. "My name is Jacques Rouge. I am a part time consultant for the cabbage corp company… as well as one who indulges in more… heart-pumping activities." He said. Straightening himself up.

"Okay, that's the first half." Mako said. "Now, why are you here?"

"My, my. Impatient, are we?" Jacques asked, sending Mako another friendly smile. "Then again, such fire has helped you persevere this far in the tournament, hasn't it? I've seen your matches, including the one with the Avatar last night."

Jacques looked at Korra with awe, making the Avatar slightly uncomfortable. As she stared back at him, though… she felt something off about him. What it was, she couldn't say for sure… but it somehow seemed familiar.

"I am a fan of Pro-bending, you see, and I wished to congratulate the fan favorites on having made it so far in their debut tournament." He continued. "However… having heard about your financial trouble, I now feel rather astonished. To think that man would try to make you youngsters try and pay him such an unreasonable amount."

"We'll find a way." Mako said back. "Now, if you're finished-"

"That's why I will pay you for it."

At this, Korra and Bolin both looked excited. By the sounds of it, their chances of getting into the tournament seeming to increasing. Mako, on the other hand, wasn't convinced.

"What's the catch?" Mako asked.

"Heh… smart boy." Jacques said, before looking at the team as a whole. "Well, there is one thing I require you to do. Although, if you wish to decline the job, that's perfectly fine as well. I can handle this job on my own… but if it meant helping my favorite team this season…" he then looked at the team with pleading eyes.

"How about you tell us about the job first, then we'll decide." Bolin suggested, suddenly appearing right beside Jacques with an eager look on his face.

"Fair enough." Jacques put his hand inside his jacket, pulling out a piece of paper. "In my hand, I hold a picture of a person I need you to track down. Bring him in, and I'll pay for your entry into the tournament."

"To the police, right?" Mako said.

"Oh, no. Nothing like that. He's no criminal, but a friend I have been searching for. Last I heard, he was in this city, but he has been FAR from easy to find." Jacques answered, his tone becoming more dramatic.

"…" Bolin popped right back in between Korra and Mako before whispering "_This guy's kinda weird._"

Mako snatched the picture. "We'll think about it. You'll be true to your word if we accept?"

"Indeed." Jacques replied with a nod.

With that, Jacues turned around and began walking out of the gym, whistling happily to himself. When he was gone, Korra, Mako and Bolin all looked at each other in confusion.

"… That was… weird." Korra eventually said.

"I thought he was kinda cool." Bolin said. "Weird, but cool."

Mako sighed before looking at the piece of paper. He looked at the paper with a blank expression for a moment. He then lowered the picture before speaking to the other two.

"We can't do it." Mako stated.

"Are you sure?" Korra asked. "I mean, I know it seems too good to be true, but… if the guy's legit, then why not?"

"Korra." Mako started, now glaring at her Avatar. "A guy walks in, saying he'll pay us to track down a guy and bring the target directly to _him_. Doesn't that sound a _little_ suspicious to you?"

"… Well when you put it like that…" Korra said, folding her arms in annoyance.

Bolin pondered on his brother's words for a moment before voicing his thoughts. "If that's the case, shouldn't we tell the police about this?"

"Maybe…" Mako said. He shook his head before continuing to clear his head. "Anyway, if he turns up again, we'll tell him no." he said, throwing the picture into a nearby bin. "We'll find another way to make the money."

"And how?" Korra asked.

"Oh-Oh! I know!" Bolin said, grabbing another integral member of the Fire Ferrets. A Ferret with red-brown fur, a racoon-like face with white fur spread across most of its face, and a large ringed tail. This was Pabu, a Fire Ferret, the namesake of the team.

"I've been training Pabu to do circus tricks. Now people would pay BIG money for that." Bolin stated.

Korra laughed lightly as Bolin said that. "I know some people definitely would." She said, recalling how amazed and hyper Ikki and Meelo were after they saw Naga for the first time.

Mako, on the other hand, thought the idea was ridiculous. "C'mon, Bolin, we need serious ideas."

"I was serious…" Bolin replied, dejected by Mako disapproval.

Mako grabbed his back and made his way back to their room. "Don't worry. I'll find a way to come up with the money. I always do." He said, now gone from the gym himself.

After he left, Korra, after making sure that Mako was gone, walked over to the bin, sticking her hand in and began rooting around, much to the confusion of Bolin.

"Uh, Korra? What are you doing?"

Korra pulled herself back from the bin, finding what she was looking for. "We may not be doing the job, _buuuutt_… what's the harms in seeing what this guy looks like." She said, looking at the picture before looking rather confused.

"… Korra?" Bolin said.

Korra turned back to Bolin, holding up the picture, revealing the face of a skinny-looking young man, underneath the apparent name of this person.

Faust

"Ever seen him before?" Korra asked.

…_._

Back at Air Temple Island, Pema was carrying a bucket of water, making her way over to Kuro's room. As she walked over, she remembered the panic everyone was in when they saw that the boy had fallen unconscious. All the Air acolytes gathered to see what the problem was, all of them worried for the boy.

In one regard, it showed how the acolytes always looked out for friends and family, as well as those who they didn't know too well. If someone was in trouble and needed help. They were there to help. One of the reasons she was happy to be part of it all.

"Just what on earth happened to him?" she asked out loud.

Tenzin told Pema about the duel he and Kuro had. From what she gathered, Kuro wanted to study how an Airbender moved, in both the moves that Airbenders used to unleash their attacks, as well as the air attacks themselves. It was a risky endeavour to help Korra with her Airbending training. Tenzin believed that it was his fault that Kuro was like this. Pema tried to help Tenzin and say that he wasn't to blame, but Tenzin was was still guilt ridden. Pema didn't find Tenzin's stubbornness surprising in the slightest. She knew it was one of the reasons he didn't get on well with other members of the council, as well as why he and Korra kept butting heads.

She stood outside Kuro's room, placing the bucket by the door before knocking.

"Kuro?" Pema said, hoping that Kuro had woken up since she last saw him. When she received no response, she looked saddened, thinking he hadn't woke up yet. "Poor thing."

With that she opened the door, seeing Kuro lying flat on the ground. She entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Huh?"

Pema's eyes widened when she heard the sound of Kuro's voice. She turned around, seeing that his eyes were slightly open, staring lazily at the ceiling.

"Kuro?" Pema said, quickly walking over to him and managing to sit down on her knees. She put her hand against his forehead to check his temperature. He seemed to be alright. She pulled back her hand and saw that he was still staring at the ceiling.

"Kuro? Are you okay?" she asked, hoping to get a response from him.

"… Still… sleepy…"

Kuro slowly sat up, slumping forward when he was upright. He suppressed an oncoming yawn, deciding to rub the back of his head. When he felt able, he looked around, checking to see where he was.

"… I passed out, didn't I?" Kuro asked.

"It kinda looks that way, Yeah." Peman said. "Tenzin, the kids and Korra were really worried about you."

"…" Kuro slowly lowered his head, his eyes soon taking on a sad expression. "Should they?"

Hearing this surprised Pema. "What… do you mean?"

Realizing what he said, Kuro quickly straightened himself up, putting on a cheery expression to ensure Pema wouldn't worry. "Oh-uh, I just meant that there's no need to worry about me. I just passed out, right? Guess Fighting Tenzin was as intense as I thought it was gonna be."

Pema didn't look convinced by his words, but decided not to probe any further. She stood up and was about to offer Kuro a hand up. Kuro took the offer with no complaint. When he was but, he looked down at Pema's abdomen with a grin.

"So, how's they baby?" he asked.

"Oh, it's getting there. Pretty soon we're going to have another Airbender bouncing and and flying all over the place."

"Good to hear. There's never too much excitement to have." Kuro pointed out.

"Speak for yourself." Pema said. "After having wind blasted in my face more than I'd like, I wouldn't at least mind a child that would give me a break from it all." She said.

Kuro laughed lightly at Pema's statement. Kuro knew how much Pema loved her kids. Being born with a heart, he was at least able to read emotion. Common sense was something he had yet to fully comprehend, or human behavior, given his lack of interaction with more people, but he was learning.

A thought then came to mind, causing the grin on Kuro's face to vanish.

"… Pema?"

"Yes?" she replied.

Kuro folded his arms before asking "Are there any other Airbenders in Republic City? I've seen a lot of use of fire, earth and water. But as far as I could see, there's just Tenzin and the kids. Do you know why?"

Hearing that brought a look of gloom to the mother. From the sounds of things, no one had told him about what happened. It wasn't a story she liked to think about often, as she knew it was a touchy subject for her husband.

"… Well… That's kind of a long story." She said.

"I've got time." Kuro countered, seeming rather keen on hearing what she knew.

Pema stood in silence for a moment, before sitting back down on the ground. Kuro followed suit by kneeling on the ground and looking at Pema in silence.

"… Well, you know about the four Nations, right?" she asked, to which Kuro nodded. "Around a hundred and seventy years ago, the Fire Lord, the ruler of the Fire Nation, wished to expand his empire. To the point that it encompassed the entire world. The Avatar around that time, Roku, disagreed with Sozin's wishes."

"Sozin?"

"That's the name of the Fire Lord at the time." Pema explained. "Anyway. Roku fought against Sozin's mission, not wanting the world to lose its freedom. It caused some bad blood between them… to the point that Sozin didn't help Roku when he needed him most." Pema curled her hands into fist, tightly gripping the fabric of her clothes. "Seeing the Avatar as a threat, Sozin attempted to break the Avatar cycle. As such, he… he killed all the Air Nomads. So many people… innocents… families and children…" Pema looked like she would struggle to continue.

Kuro frowned at this. This 'Sozin' person went that far to get power? He lowered his head as it reminded him too much of Faust. That look in his eye, when he said that he would kill… was that the kind of thing that Darkness feeds on? What it creates?

Will it make him like that too?

"… At least the Air Nomads aren't _all _gone." Kuro pointed out, trying to look on the bright side. "Tenzin, and you to be fair, were able to keep it up. So not all hope is lost."

"… Yeah… you're right." Pema said, her cheery expression slowly returning. "That's right."

Both Kuro and Pema sat in silence for a moment before Kuro stood up, helping Pema off the ground. Pema walked out of the room, turning back before waving at him.

"Be sure to rest for a bit before doing anything active. Wouldn't want to push yourself too soon." She said before exiting the room, closing the door behind her.

Kuro smiled, lying back with his hands behind his head. After a moment of silence, his cheered look changed to a thoughtful expression. He thought back to what Pema said about that Fire Lord… and remembering what Faust was like.

What was worse was when he remembered what he was like when he was fighting Tenzin. He felt himself losing control during the fight.

Kuro unconsciously trembled after remembering that. He didn't want to believe that actually happened. When he fought Tenzin, it was only to understand Airbending better. It was such a unique art in its own way, even more fascinating given how rare it is now. Nonetheless, the fight itself, he…

Kuro gritted his teeth in anger. He remembered becoming to engrossed in the fight itself. When he fought, he felt… a craving. A craving to go all out. To crush his opponent. And there was a chance he would have succeeded had Tenzin not won the fight.

"… No… no, I have to forget that." He said as he shook his head. "I'm not like that. I can keep control." He said to himself, curling his hands into fists. He wouldn't allow himself to lose himself like that again.

A grin formed on his face, feeling calmer now.

"… Right. Better get back to bed before the Acoly-"

Kuro felt a chill go up his spine all of a sudden. He scrunched his brow in confusion, unconsciously turning towards his window, giving a good view of the city. Kuro's expression slowly became more serious.

"… Something's… really wrong here."

…

"Alright, try it again."

Jinora blasted air through the spinning gates, allowing them to spin rapidly. As they spun, Korra ran through the gates. Instead of charging through the gates like an angry bull, she circled elegantly around the gates with ease, managing to avoid every one, emerging through the other side with success. Needless to say, she had improved greatly in her movements.

It was hours later after Korra was finished at the arena. There had been no sign of the man who had offered them that job. Korra found it really strange, seeing as she thought that he would be back soon to get an answer. He looked like an upfront kind of guy after all.

She chose not to say anything about to Tenzin yet, not seeing the point in making him worry. Though if need be, she would let him know what happened. If anything, it would give her an excuse to find out more about that guy that Jacques was after. He looked a little unusual, but that certainly wasn't something that makes people dangerous.

Korra straightened herself up, giving Jinora and Ikki a thumbs up. "Thanks guys."

"No problem. You're already improved so much." Jinora pointed out.

Ikki jumped in between them and clapped her hands together. "Pretty soon you'll be the one spinning the gates around. And we can have a contest to see you can get through the gates the quickest, wouldn't that be fun?"

"Sure does." Korra said, her arms folded as she thought that she would win such a contest with ease. "Alright, I'm ready to go again."

"Alright, just a se… oh, who is that?"

Korra raised her brow in confusion, before turning around, seeing Mako walking up the steps.

"Is that the Firebender you've been talking about?" Jinora asked.

"Oh yeah, the guy you ssaid makes you CRAZY!" Ikki added. "Does he make you 'crazy' crazy, or crazy as in you _like _him?"

Korra immediately felt a blush coming on. Not wanting them to say anything embarrassing to the approaching boy, she stomped her foot on the ground, sending the two children into the air via a stone column pushed out from the ground. Korra turned around and recomposed herself before talking to Mako.

"Oh, Hey Mako." Korra said.

"You see Bolin?" Mako asked her, ignoring her greeting.

"Nice to see you too." She said sarcastically. "… And no. I haven't seen him since practice."

"… I see." Mako said, now looking worried.

Korra looked at Mako with worry. "Do you think that he's in trouble?"

"Could be. Bolin has a knack for getting into stupid situations."

Korra stood silent for a moment, before an idea popped into her head. She looked back towards the girls, who had safely landed back on the ground thanks to their Airbending.

"Say, can you guys check to see how Kuro's doing?" she asked them.

"Sure, back in a sec." Ikki answered before they both left to check on Kuro.

Mako looked at her curiously. "Sorry, but I'm not staying. You're just wasting his time."

"Not if we're all going to help you find your brother." Korra pointed out. "Like it or not, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"…" Mako paused for a moment as he thought over her proposal. He would have preferred to do this himself, but with his brother's safety on the line… then a bit more help wouldn't hurt.

Mako sighed in defeat. "Ugh, fine. You can help."

"Perfect." Korra said with a grin. She had a feeling that he'd say yes. "We can bring Naga as well."

"Who's Naga?"

"My best friend. And she's also a gre-"

"KORRA!"

Korra and Mako jumped when they heard Ikki scream. They turned to see the girls running back, both of them looking worried. Korra ran up to them and knelt down, with Mako right next to her.

"What's wrong?" Mako asked.

"He's gone." Jinora answered. "Kuro's not in his room, and no one has seen him since this morning!"

At this, Korra looked worried herself. The last she saw of Kuro was when he was lied flat on the floor in his room, unconscious. She thought that there was a chance he might be well enough to go out on his own after his duel with Tenzin.

"Get Tenzin and have him set up a search party for him." She told them, sounding much more serious than before. "Check to see if there's anything missing in his room afterwards."

Jinora and Ikki nodded, forming Air Scooters as they raced to find their father. Korra stood up again and turned to Mako.

"I'll get Naga, you wait here and we'll find Bolin." She said, just about to take off.

"Whoa! Wait!" Mako said, grabbing Korra's arm just before she ran. "Kuro's missing and you're still gonna help me?"

Korra nodded. "I said I would. Plus, Bolin's my friend too. I'm not going to abandon one over the other like that."

Mako paused in surprise. The look in Korra's eyes… there was a fire behind them that Bolin said was present in his. That tenacity to protect what was important to him. For most of their lives, he didn't think he'd meet someone who would care about them both like that. He smiled before nodding in agreement.

"… Thank you, Korra."

"You're welcome." She said. "I'll be right back with Naga."

With that, Korra ran to find her trusty animal guide. As she ran, she was no longer able to keep up the mask she wore to alleviate Mako of his worry. The memories of the fight with Tenzin were still fresh in her mind. Before, he was able to assess a situation that involved combat, finding the quickest and safest way to end it. She believed that's why he was so harsh with her when they first met, after she caused so much damage around that area. But seeing him in the duel, it was like he was a different person. He looked angry, and looked like he intently tried to hurt Tenzin… like he had lost control. She didn't know what was causing it…

But she knew she had to find out what it was, in case someone else was to get hurt.

…..

"Never been this way, before."

Kuro was now walking down the streets of Republic city, his eyes narrowed as he kept an eye out for anything unusual. So far, the only thing he noticed was the number of people staring at him, some with nervousness, others just looking incredibly baffled. Whatever their reason, they didn't like the boy being around town.

He simply ignored the stares, continuing to let this… strange feeling guide him. He was able to pick up on this disturbance, following where it seemed to be coming from. He wasn't able to tell how he was able to pick it up, but… it's like he just knew.

Before he could get any further, he felt a hand roughly latch onto his shoulder from behind.

"Where do you think you're going, kid?"

Kuro turned his head back, seeing a man with a heavily scared face and a broken nose, dressed in a red, sleeveless jacket and black khaki shorts. He glared down at Kuro.

"Is there a problem?"

"Not a good idea to be here, kid." The man said. "There's gonna be a turf war startin' soon. If you don't wanna die, you'd better get out of here."

"… Turf War?" Kuro asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Yeah, the Triads around the city are gonna fight over who get control over what part of the city. Lightning Bolt Zolt's even got some Pro-Bender kid to be part of the bloodbath."

Hearing that, Kuro felt panic.

"… That Pro-Bending player… is his name Bolin?" Kuro asked.

"… Uh, think so. He's an Earthben-HEY!"

The man in red saw Kuro trying to run off. To stop him, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, causing Kuro to stay in the one spot. Kuro turned his head towards him, his eyes showing a rising anger.

"Let me go!" Kuro demanded.

"I told you already told you, kid, it'll be too dangerous to get involved. "he said, trying to make Kuro see some sense." You go there and you'll get killed. Just ge-"

A hand latched itself onto the man's arm. The sight of said hand instantly shook the man to the core. It was charcoal black, with vein-like traces of blue appearing on the forearm. The man looked at Kuro, seeing the sclera had turned back, while his iris' began to glow.

"**Let… go…**"

Kuro tightened his grip on the man's arm, making him yell in pain and slowly drop to his knees. The man looked up at Kuro, fear slowly creeping into him as the boy stared down at him. Kuro looked at him in silence for a moment before he spoke.

"You know this are?" Kuro asked, tightening his grip to the point cracking noises could be heard coming from the man's arm.

"Y-YES! I KNOW THIS PLACE-JUST LET GO OF MY ARM!" he yelled.

Kuro let the man's arm go, much to his victim's relief. The man dropped to the ground, grunting in pain. As he clutched his near-broken arm, he looked back up at Kuro, who was kneeling beside him. Kuro's eyes and arms had turned back to normal, but his expression remained the same.

"That Earthbender is my friend. Lead me to where the Triple-Threats are." He demanded.

The man grunted in anger this time. "You think I'm gonna listen to a psycho like-"

Kuro pressed the tips of his fingers of his right hand under the man's jaw, his hand morphing into the dark, beast-like form, with his talons just barely breaking the skin.

"I'm losing patience. Get up and lead the way."

"… F-Fine." He said, careful not to move his jaw too much in case the claws further damaged him.

Kuro removed his hand. The man slowly got onto his feet, clutching his arm again. He walked ahead of Kuro, towards where he knew the Triple-Threat base to be, with Kuro close behind.

As they walked on, any doubts and worries Kuro had about his actions back on Air Temple Island quickly faded. He saw no point in worrying about himself when it looked like one of his friends was in danger. Now he had only one thing on his mind, and if what he saw from the men he saw when he first met Korra were any indication, then he had little reason to hold back.

"Hang on Bolin… try to hang a little longer." He said, not noticing his hands becoming coated in a pure black aura.

**And that's that chapter. Next time, we'll be seeing Kuro and how he tries to help Bolin. Will he be able to get him out of there, or will things go unwell for the dark hero? I guess we'll wait and see.**

**Also, for those who are wondering about the long wait for the update, college work has been keeping me pretty busy, and I haven't gotten as much time to write as i would've liked. Even then, there's something I've been struggling with for this story. It doesn't really feel as well written as it should be. I was thinking of rebooting it to be honest, but instead I'll just go back and edit some of the weaker parts of the writing. As the saying goes, 'I started, so I'll finish'.**

**Well, that's all i have to say. Hope you all have a good day, and if i don't post anything later, happy holidays to everyone and have a great time.**


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